Official Languages committee  We are also funded by our own ministry of education to enhance opportunities for our students outside the classroom. Because of our proximity to the city of Toronto, where there are a number of opportunities available to students—theatre, field trips, including experiences in Fre

Official Languages committee  Mr. Moynihan talked earlier about the number of English-language learners who are part of our French immersion programs, and we've just done some quick calculations of our own here at the table. We see that one in four students in grade 1, for example, at the beginning level of F

Official Languages committee  We're sourcing through Ontario universities, but in fact our recruitment goes countrywide. In Ontario, the qualifications to teach French immersion are similar to qualifications to teach core French—that is, having additional qualifications programs through universities not speci

Official Languages committee  That's correct.

Official Languages committee  Yes. The language of instruction officially in our IB program is English.

Official Languages committee  Correct.

Official Languages committee  What I can tell you is that we have three or four secondary school French immersion programs from which we are graduating students, whereas at the elementary level we would have in the range of 20 or 30, or even higher, sites where we offer French immersion.

Official Languages committee  We're engaged in a similar French immersion review of our secondary programs. That data should be available in the fall.

Official Languages committee  It's difficult. We can't speak for any other jurisdiction but our own. We are a suburb of Toronto where the percentage of francophone population in the overall population I suspect is relatively low, but certainly we've seen, just from interest in French immersion programs, that

Official Languages committee  Certainly, we believe it does. Our French immersion programs are a very important part of the overall program offerings that we have as a school board, as the second-largest school board in the country. Certainly, they bring a vitality to our program offerings, which we are very

Official Languages committee  We've also heard anecdotally from parents—sorry.

Official Languages committee  I'm sorry, could we ask you to repeat the question?

Official Languages committee  Absolutely yes. That would in fact be an important part of our teaching of French as a second language, not only in the immersion program but in our extended programs and our core French programs as well. Culture is a very important part. It isn't only a language acquisition cour

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. Our recruiting process does take us into the province of Quebec—for example, looking for teachers. In fact it would take us across Canada in some instances. Certainly we have hiring processes in place that specifically target a search for—again—qualified, fluent, and

Official Languages committee  Certainly, because we start in grade 1, we've seen, as Mr. Moynihan pointed out earlier, an increase over the last 10 years in interest in early immersion programs, to the point where, as the chair stated, we have one in four of our grade 1 students opting into a French immersion