Due to low registration numbers, the late entry French Immersion program at Percy Pegler School will not be happening in the 2019-2020 year.

The program offers students a chance to start French Immersion in grade five.

Lesley Doell, Divisional French Immersion Facilitator for the Foothills School Division says the rather early March deadline was likely the cause of the low numbers.

"We have a deadline that we have to respect that was set by the board for the end or March. We did have some good enrolment, we just didn't have enough to have a full class of students by the end of March, so that was one of the decisions that was made; best not to go forward unless we have a full class of students."

Doell says the lower numbers are not indicative of a general decline in interest for French language programs.

"We always have strong enrolment in our French Immersion programs, and as a matter of fact it's growing for early French Immersion in both our communities of High River and Okotoks so I think we're seeing a strong upper trend here in the Foothills School Division with interest in having more students graduate bilingual."

She says the FSD's French programs are growing in popularity, they will continue to offer plenty of opportunities for French language courses and programs in the future.

 

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