cover of episode The class and cultural divides from French immersion

The class and cultural divides from French immersion

Publish Date: 2023/10/24
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The Decibel

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French immersion has become a cornerstone in Canadian education. One in 10 Canadian students are now enrolled in the program, as numbers doubled through the 1990s. But it has also inadvertently created a cultural and class divide – with some parents and students feeling like they’re getting left behind.

Caroline Alphonso, The Globe’s education reporter, is the parent of two French immersion students and has reported on how the language program is dividing schools, why it exists and how parental power is shaping bilingual education in Canada.

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