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beige] INFO-PARENTS DEG a aeE OE: ss pce ee

Paul and Suzanne ... are going to school !

The Education reform in Québec

| seems
_regarding preschool education as
_ it underlines the importance of an

educational approach at an early |

| age.

| The reform most important aspects are:

| Access to full-time kindergarten
for five years old children;

|
|
7
| &

boeeee Centre network for children

particularly positive |

/\mplementation of an Early |

0-4 (this network will be set up on the —

tai ofthe existing Child Care Centre
_ network);

2D Development of educational |

guidelines from Office des bureau de |
_ garde a l’enfance and the Ministry of |
Education in order to facilitate the |
transfer of children from the Early |

Childhood Centre to Kindergarten.

| Morever, Québec adopted a Family :
_ policy to reinfoce the changes initiated ©

by the Education reform :

| EDraster implementation of full-time _
_ Kindergarten for all 5 year old children, |

- starting in September 1997;

#D Faster implementation of free |
education! services in Early Chilhood —
Centres for 4 year old children of low- _

income families;

Implementation of almost free |
day-care services for children with |

studying or working parents.

Both the new Family policy and the |
Education reform show the willingness —

ofthe government to increaseits support
to families and early chilhood services.
_ This is areal choice for Québec society
as it offers a long term strategy to
conciliate work and family life.

_ Paul and Suzanne are the main characters of a French improviment program for
@ children from 3 to 5 who don’t speak French. This program is called “Programme de
ef francisation”. This program is particularly intended for children from one French-
speaking and one English-speaking parent. With tapes, big books, puppets and many

suggestions of activities, “Paul and Suzanne” will help children who don’t speak French

to understand and speak the language.

In British Columbia, five French preschools are offering the program since last
September, in North Vancouver, Coquitlam, White Rock, Vancouver and Victoria.
Several educators have already noticed the improvement of children in the acquisition
of the French language since they have started working with the program in the
classroom. Next September every French preschool in the province will have the
opportunity to work with the program under the coordination of the Association des

parents frncophones.

With the success of the program, the Francophone Education Authority will give a kit
of “Paul and Suzanne” to the Francophone schools to help children improve their level
of French in Kindergarten, — one and two, and “Mesures d’accueil”’.

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: News

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from... | =. |

‘Francophone community school
center : a popular concept

| Put together under a same roof school
and community; this is one of the goals
to reach when you create a community
‘school centre. Francophones from
Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George
| have already begun the process to
| project.
SS On February 7 and 8, the Société
francophone de Victoria held a special
|Assembly (les Etats généraux) on
education to know the expectations for
‘thisconcept. Expertsmade presentations
‘on different models of community
school. After that, francophones were
‘invited to give preference to one model
‘and one location for the future
community school centre. This meeting
was one of the means choosen by the
‘committee to consult the Francophone
population of the Greater Vitoria area..

| Bin Kelowna, the first public meeting
was held at the beginning of February.
Since then, three other public
consultations have taken place. These
meetings give the opportunity to local
Francophones to express their views
and interests « on the Project.

‘implement in their region this kind of

SS In Prince George, the process will |
begin in April. Many consultations and
an information campaign will be the
foundation of the process. Focus
groups with parents, teachers, students
and school administrators and a big.
public meeting will be organized. The |
Cercle des Canadiens-frangais de’
Prince George is in charge of the
consultation process and will form an |
advisory committee for this specific |
project. At the same time, research |
on demography and on a future
location willl be done. After three |
months, a final report will be released. |

For the next century

$8 The Ministry of Education, Skills
and Training carry on the review of
many Integrated Resources Package

(IRP). Forthe Francophone programm,

the Social Studies IRP is being reviewed

and developed. Representatives from

the Ministry, parents, teachers, and

students are working together to develop

the content. A cultural aspect will be

included in the new Integrated

Resources Package. The committee

should finish his work by year 2000.

This group shows a good example of
partnership in education.