Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 21/05) - Last year's controversy over reforms to French programs at Yellowknife Education District No. 1 has been replaced with contentment as the school year settles in.

Responding to angry protests from parents over a plan to make one school French-only, school administrators opted to begin early immersion programming in Sept.

The program has 17 kids in full day kindergarten immersion and 19 in Grade 1. Middle immersion starting in Grade 4 is still strong at the school, with 78 kids enroled this year.

"We're really happy with the numbers, considering the controversy and what happened here," says Mel Pardy, assistant superintendent for the district and one of the researchers for the program changes.

The district is tracking enrolment numbers to see if the program boosts the total that has lagged in recent years, but is more concerned about increasing second language retention in students.

"Ultimately, the goal is to get as many bilingual students as we can," says Pardy.

Kindergarten teacher Ruth Tobey says picking up a second language is more natural for young kids.

"They learn it quickly when they are younger," she says.

Caroline Roux taught Grade 4 immersion at Sissons last year and took on the Grade 1 pilot project class this fall. She hesitates to compare the two entry grades, saying each requires a different strategy for teaching a new language. The five and six-year-old students listen to instructions in a mix of French and English, sometimes understanding and other times needing hand signals to know that playtime ends in five minutes.

Just as in any class, some pick it up more quickly than others.

The French changes aren't stopping with early immersion. The district is looking at adding intensive French for Grade 6 as early as next September.

The pilot program is a booster year of French, with 70-80 per cent of instruction in the second language. Pardy calls it a blend of immersion and core French.

If that goes well, late immersion starting in Grade 7 may become the next option for Yk No. 1 students and parents.

Pardy says administrators are still researching the late immersion proposal. "We have to be careful. We can't offer everything," he says.

Public consultations will continue this fall for parents, teachers and staff.

Dr. Joan Netten, a Newfoundland pioneer for the intensive French initiative, will be in Yellowknife for the sessions.