A parent group advocating for high-quality French education in New Brunswick wants the province to strengthen its commitment to bilingualism.
Parents for Bilingual Education New Brunswick made a presentation to the committee reviewing the Official Languages Act this week.
The group said increasing bilingualism among anglophones is a great opportunity to improve economic development and social cohesion.
“French immersion has been one of the most successful educational programs in New Brunswick’s history,” said executive director Bonnie Porter in a statement.
“It has helped generations of young people become bilingual and has contributed significantly to the province’s bilingual workforce.”
Porter said the organization’s stance is future generations deserve the same opportunities.
The group’s primary recommendation?
Any changes to French second-language programming in the anglophone education system be debated and approved by the legislative assembly rather than simply through an Order in Council.
“Decisions that affect the bilingual future of tens of thousands of New Brunswick children deserve public debate, transparency, and accountability,” said president Jane Keith.
“This recommendation is not about preventing change. It is about ensuring that significant changes to French-language learning opportunities receive the scrutiny and democratic oversight they deserve.”
In addition to legislative protection, PBENB recommended:
- A formal teacher recruitment and retention incentive program for qualified French educators willing to teach in the anglophone sector, particularly in rural and underserved regions;
- Defined access standards for French Immersion across all four anglophone school districts; and
- Annual public reporting on French Immersion enrollment, retention, teacher capacity, and proficiency outcomes.
PBENB is a parent-led, provincewide organization dedicated to supporting high-quality French second language and French immersion education.
