The Prince Albert Catholic School Division is seeing success with the French Immersion program. At their regular meeting on Monday, August 17, the board received an update on participation in the program.
“We are very proud of our students and our staff and families. We have been hovering between 30 and 31 per cent of our students who are registered in French Immersion and we know we have a high success rate of completion for having the certificate,” director of education Lorel Tumier said.
“It’s a tribute to our perseverance and the support that our staff and students and how they work through learning that second language. We know there is certainly benefits to that second language as our student success rate is high,” she explained.
The program is available at Ecole St. Anne, Holy Cross and Ecole St. Mary High School.
The number of students enrolled in French Immersion in the division as of September, 2019 was 935 — 30 per cent of all students in the division. A report detailing enrolment numbers was sent to the Ministry of Education in June for federal grant purposes. In September 2017 there was 896 students or 31 percent and in September, 2018 there were 908 students or 31 percent.
French Immersion enrolment has seen a steady upswing according to the report. In September, 2014 there were 778 students, or 26 percent, enrolled. In 2015 there were 808 students, which also was 26 percent and in 2016 the average increased to 28 percent with 844 students enrolled.
The earliest number in the report was from 2008 and saw 593 students enrolled or 20 percent.
“Our board does a lot to support that endeavour and we are getting great reception and pick up from our students and parents,” Trumier said.
