Core French enrolment, instruction shrinking in Sask., but more students opting for immersion

The latest data from Statistics Canada on French instructionin Canada showsenrolment in core French classes is declining, while French immersion enrolment is on the rise in Saskatchewan.

Enrolment in immersion programs grew more quicklyin the province than anywhere else in the country in from 2015 to 2016, Statistics Canada says.

The number of students in French immersion programs went from 11,058 in the 2011-12 school year to13,869 for the 2015-16 school year the latest for which data is available.

During the same period, enrolment in core French classes in the province dropped from40,119 to34,821, Statistics Canada says.

Some parents, though, still want core French available to their children, even if the trend across Saskatchewan is declining enrolment.

At RosemontElementary School in Regina, core French classes were replaced with a new Indigenous studies course, to the surprise of parents who were fond of the core French instruction at the elementary school.

One parent, Samantha Zitaruk, told CBCNews she supports Indigenous studies being introduced at the school, but she wishes there was a way for her child to continue to get instruction in core French.

Teacher troubles

In November of 2017, then education minister Bronwyn Eyre told media French was "becoming cool," and spoke about attracting more French immersion teachers to Saskatchewan.

The province committed up to $110,000 by 2022 to fund projects pitched by francophone organizations at the time.

A lack of French teachers is a widespread problem in other jurisdictions in Canada, too.

Boards of education, not the ministry, are responsible for the recruitment and retention of teachers to deliver whichever French programs are chosen for their students.

Different school divisions, different approaches

According to the Ministry of Education, school divisions have several options when it comes to providing French education.

Divisions can choose from core French, immersion, and intensive/post-intensive instruction for students who want to learn French as a second language.

Saskatoon's public school division allows each school to decide which elective courses will be provided to their students.

John Lake School is the latest of 29 schools in the division to swap out core French for another elective subject, like phys ed or art.

Catholicschools in Saskatoon follow a similar protocol. Any decision to make changes to electives is made by the board in consultation with community school councilsand school families.

Meanwhile, at Regina's Catholic schools, core French is mandatory from grades 4 to 8, and becomes an elective at the high school level. Every school that does not offer French immersion has some type of French instruction available.

At Regina Public schools, core French is not a required course. Of 44 elementary schools in the division, 35 offer core French.

Three are French centres, meaning those schools offer French immersion only.