I don't want to be judgmental about immersion schools or immersion programs, because bilingualism is important in Canada. It's one of our country's and our province's values.
Do people opt for immersion programs because French-language schools don't have the courses they would like because of a funding shortfall? That's definitely possible. It's sometimes a matter of competition, which we discussed earlier.
Is it because children know that, sooner or later, after elementary and high school, they won't have access to the programs they want in French and decide that it might be best to go towards the anglophone side of things to have a direct path to the post-secondary system? That too is a problem. The connection is important.
With everything being done at the elementary and secondary levels, it's worth pausing to ask what the outcome will be without a logical next step or learning continuum in French at the post-secondary level with as many programs as possible, on the basis of which families can make the required decisions about what career their children wish to pursue, and whether they will leave their region. So there is an exodus as a result of the education system, not to mention the rural exodus, which hasn't been helping.
So once again, it's important to consider the big picture. We need to make sure that the Ontario education system in French-language minority settings, provides services and courses that are as dynamic and diverse as possible. They should also be equivalent to what's available in English. If the French side of things doesn't look as good, then there is a risk of motivating families and children to move to the English-language system.