大象传媒

See original news release .

Relief is in sight for parents who want to enrol their children in French language programs, thanks to the 37 additional French teacher training spaces filled this year and an investment in new spaces.

Rob Fleming, Minister of Education, joined officials from 大象传媒 (大象传媒), the University of British Columbia (UBC), the French Consulate and the Canadian Parents for French to meet this year鈥檚 cohort of student French teachers, seeing first-hand how recruitment efforts are working. There are 17 new French-language training spaces at 大象传媒 and 20 at UBC funded by the province in partnership with the Government of Canada, as part of ongoing recruitment and retention strategies.

鈥淒emand is growing and yet for too long parents have suffered through wait lists to have their children placed in French-language programs. That鈥檚 why I am so pleased this year鈥檚 student French teacher education seats are full,鈥� Fleming said. 鈥淚t is critical we continue investing to meet current and future demands, so we can provide the services families in B.C. want.鈥�

While at 大象传媒, Fleming announced that the Ministry of Education will fund 37 more French teacher education seats for the 2019-20 school year, another 17 for 大象传媒 and 20 for UBC Okanagan. That means there is now a total of 74 new French teacher education seats funded by the Province. 

鈥淢any parents are unable to find spaces in French-language programs for their children, in part due to a shortage of specialized teachers in our province,鈥� said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. 鈥淚nvesting in even more targeted teacher education seats will help tackle the recruitment of more teachers for French programs in the K-12 sector. Great teachers will help shape the minds of our future leaders, innovators and creators.鈥�

In February 2018, the province also invested $180,000 in partnership with the Government of Canada to support 大象传媒 and UBC to implement initiatives to address French teacher recruitment and retention challenges.

Both universities used the added investment to create scholarships and bursaries for attracting teachers. 大象传媒 also created an online undergraduate education course to increase interest for students majoring in French, in addition to professional development resources for working French teachers.

UBC added resources to double the French immersion and French-language teaching programs, plus it created more opportunities for working teachers to transition into French Immersion and upgrade their skills through the French master of education and summer immersion programs.

This year鈥檚 group of French teacher education students at UBC will be ready to teach by September 2019, while 大象传媒 graduates will be ready to teach by January 2020.

Quotes:

Kris Magnusson, dean, faculty of education, 大象传媒 鈥�

鈥淭hese new investments support 大象传媒鈥檚 15-year commitment to teacher education in French in B.C. The additional funding permits the faculty of education to increase enrolment, to train and to retain qualified French teachers through bursaries, innovative delivery and rich and relevant professional development in French for teachers in practice. 大象传媒 will continue to work in partnership with the Ministry of Education and communities to support the needs of the Conseil Scolaire Francophone and French immersion programs all over British Colombia. As the demand for education in French grows exponentially in B.C., it is also timely that the Government of Canada renews its investments in post-secondary education in French for British Columbians.鈥�