OCDSB overturns earlier decision, will consider French immersion changes for 2016

One week after an Ottawa Carleton District School Boardcommittee recommended delaying sweeping changesto French immersion until 2017, the board has voted to consider the changes for September 2016 after all.

A majority ofOCDSBmembers decided to overturn thecommittee's earlier recommendation after receiving a report from Director of Education Jennifer Adams and Chief Financial Officer Michael Carsonsuggesting thatimplementing French immersion changescould help reduce the board's deficit by $2.7 million.

On Nov. 17, trustees voted to hold off on considering the changes, which would affect students from junior kindergarten to Grade 3, until 2017 after hearing from someparents who believed there wasn't enough consultation.

• French immersion changes in JK to Grade 3 opposed by some parents
• French immersion changes in JK to Grade 3 delayed

"We can't just flip-flop. That's not how you make decisions," said Mark Fisher, one of two OCDSB trustees who voted against reconsidering the committee's decision Tuesday.

Under the proposed changes,French immersion would be expanded to all children for half their school day from 20 minutes per day to 150 minutes in both junior and senior kindergarten.

The number of hours of French-language instruction for studentsfrom Grades 1 to 3 who stick with the immersion programwould be reduced, however,from either 300 or240 minutesper day to 180 minutes.

The changes are being recommended by the board as a result of Ontario's newtwo-year full-day kindergarten program.

Tuesday's staff report suggests while the attitudes of those opposed to the expansion "are unlikely to change over time," there could be further consultation as long as a final decision is made by mid-January 2016.