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P.A. Catholic School Division highlights French immersion growth

Oct 5, 2017 | 12:00 PM

Staff at the P.A. Catholic School Division is celebrating their French Immersion enrolment stats for this year.

With 871 students in the program, Director of Education Lorel Trumier said the number puts them at 28 per cent of total student population.

“Per capita we’re one of the highest rates for French immersion in the province,” she said. “[That’s due] to the willingness of students and families who want second language instruction and our teachers who are really supporting our students.”

The enrolment keeps growing; it was at 25 per cent in 2015.

Overall the division had 3,158 students enrolled by the end of the September deadline. That’s a handful of students more than 2016.

Trumier said the early year grades remained strong and consistent. Pre-kindergarten numbers were slightly up to 157 from 145 last year; kindergarten was down to 203 from 214 in 2016.

Trumier highlighted the Grade 9 numbers for 2017 as an important and growing trend because it’s a transition year for students.

“At St. Mary High School we have record numbers of Grade 9s coming in,” she said. “We have 296 Grade 9s which is around 50 to 60 more than last year.”

Trumier said she was still looking at how many Grade 9 to 12 students transitioned to St Mary after the recent closure of Blessed Marie Rivier but she said the net loss to the division would be small.

 

Glenn.Hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow