French Immersion enrollment data recently compiled and released by the Upper Grand District School Board shows there is relatively equitable access to the program when registrations from all schools are counted.
But seen from an individual school perspective, not all schools have equal access to the program.
The information, shared with board trustees last week, shows that an average of 53.5 per cent of program spaces are available to junior kindergarten students without siblings already enrolled in the program.
In recent months, much concern has been expressed by some parents that changes being made to FI program admissions favours new students who have siblings enrolled.
Interest in FI throughout the board’s territory has grown consistently, but the success of the program and the concurrent increased demand has put pressure on available educational resources. The board has made changes to address those pressures.
One of those changes was to make junior kindergarten the only entry point for new FI students. As well, caps were set on FI enrollments at the school level for the 2017-18 school year.
A move to give siblings of students registered in FI priority access to the program struck some as inequitable, and generated much debate at the board level. The provision was adopted because families wanted their younger children to have the same learning choices as an older child, while keeping siblings together in the same school.
Verified data based on January, 2017 registrant information shows that an average of just over over 46.5 per cent of registrants have a sibling in the FI program, with an average of 53.5 per cent of spaces open to non-siblings. The numbers are averaged over 14 schools offering FI in Upper Grand public schools.
However, of the 14 schools, there are seven that have less than half of FI spaces available to non-siblings. Those include Palmerston (43 per cent), Harris Mill (43 per cent), Arbour Vista (33 per cent), Edward Johnson (46 per cent), F.A. Hamilton (46 per cent), Guelph Lake (48 per cent), and John McCrae (46 per cent).
Those schools that offer more spaces to non-siblings include James McQueen (56 per cent), Brisbane (70 per cent), King George (52 per cent), Paisley Road (63 per cent), Victory (60 per cent), Centennial Hylands (88 per cent), and Princess Elizabeth (55 per cent).
