The Prince George school district has partnered up with Académie de la Martinique in France to improve French language learning opportunities for students.
The partnership will develop initiatives such as exchange programs so students and teachers in both countries can improve either their French- or English-language skills, and gain a better understanding of each other's culture.
There will also be more professional development opportunities for teachers, including study tours and job shadowing, plus possible work exchanges.
The districts will pool French or English language instructional resources to give students better learning material in the classroom.
They will also share professional development and training resources to support working teachers and teacher education students who want to upgrade their language skills.
School District 57 is one of several B.C. school districts that’s partnered up with the equivalent of school districts in France.
"It's incredibly positive that B.C. families want their children to benefit from bilingualism and, as a result, we've seen a rapid increase in francophone and French immersion enrolment. At the same time, it's been a challenge to find enough French teachers domestically to meet the growing demand," said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education in a provincial news release. "I'm pleased our mission to Europe in the spring paved the way for partnerships that will increase French teacher recruitment, foster more French cultural experiences and improve French language skills in the classroom."
Over the last 10 years, French learning programs in B.C. have increased in popularity with the number of francophone students rising by 41 per cent and the number of French Immersion students increasing by 26 per cent.
The new partnership agreements mean students in Prince George and throughout the district will have more French language learning opportunities.
As France is also interested in implementing English immersion programs, and the partnership agreement will allow teachers from both countries to share their expertise and professional development.
"Plurilingualism is a worthy objective, not just for the resulting mastery of foreign languages but also for the cognitive development that it fosters, as well as the development of cultural awareness and exchanges, particularly in cross-border regions," said Jean-Michel Blanquer, France's Minister of National Education. "This objective is therefore clearly central to the French system."
The seven B.C. school districts that signed agreements with French académie include areas in the Okanagan, Vancouver Island and the Peace River area.
