A group of parents here is asking the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) to establish a full French immersion school in the township.
The parents say such a school would attract better resources, improve academic performance, reduce program attrition rates, solve transportation issues, and resolve current school capacity issues as well as improve stability and transportation issues for regular-track students in Fergus.
“French Immersion parents have been concerned for some time about academic performance, resourcing and transportation issues within the program,” French immersion parent Amie Butchart said in a Jan. 10 press release issued by the group.
“Through the recent James McQueen boundary review study process, we came to the conclusion that a full [French immersion] school would address these concerns as well as solve the capacity issues in local schools for all students.”
Some parents are upset by the board’s “preferred scenario” to split the primary French immersion program into two schools (James McQueen and John Black) and also by “the general state of the French immersion program in Centre Wellington,” the group’s press release states.
“French immersion students were moved to James McQueen just a few years ago, and now half of them are being moved back to John Black,” stated Jackie Fraser, a concerned French immersion parent.
“Our children are not pawns – they should not be used to fill or empty schools every few years as needed – we want a stable school experience for all students.”
A group of parents is lobbying the UGDSB for an Accommodation Review, the process required to create a full French immersion centre in Centre Wellington.
They ask anyone who shares their goal to email cwfrenchimmersion@gmail.com, join their Facebook page, sign an online petition (www.activism.com/en_CA/petition/centre-wellington-french-immersion-parents-request-for-accommodation-review/46581), contact UGDSB trustees and attend board meetings (held at the board office in Guelph).
