Board staff are right to propose a much more traditional educational structure, which could be implemented in 2026.

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Imagine this: an English-language public school board in Ottawa offering primary education in English in almost all of the city’s schools. The casual observer might have thought that would be the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s core mandate, but it’s not. Instead, this belated balancing of English and French immersion is a new approach.
The staff proposal, which could be implemented next year, is long overdue. For years, the city’s largest public school board lost sight of the importance of a solid English language program. Instead, it offers widespread French immersion programs, which act as a de facto form of academic streaming, while English education is perceived as being for newcomers, weak learners and children with special needs.
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That approach ignores the fact that Ottawa and the rest of Canada are predominantly English-speaking. French proficiency is nice to have. English proficiency is essential to a student’s future success.
Now, the light bulb has come on. If the proposal is approved by trustees, the public board will move to a much more traditional educational structure. Most schools will offer both French immersion and English streams and students will be expected to attend their closest school. At last, the board is acknowledging the role of schools as a place to get to know children in one’s own neighbourhood, unless the children are francophone or Catholic, of course. This is Ontario.
The standardization of dual-track schools will reduce the cost of transporting students across the city based on program choice, saving money that could be better spent on education.
Board staff also propose to give children and their parents more time to decide if French immersion is best for them. Kindergarten years will remain 50-50 English and French, as now, but parents will no longer have to decide on French immersion in Grade 1 or Grade 4. Instead, they can make that decision any time prior to Grade 4. Middle French immersion will be discontinued.
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While the board’s plan is directionally sound, there are still concerns that should be addressed during the upcoming period of public consultation. Board staff refer to the new approach to English schools as “Enhanced English.” What does “enhanced” mean, exactly? The board’s report doesn’t really say, but the sense is that offering English programming in more schools is an enhancement.
That’s a first step, but it shouldn’t be the last. When I wrote about this issue last September, I suggested that the board upgrade the quality of its English program, stressing the value of mastering reading, writing and math in one’s own language, while doing more to help newcomers learn English.
Without a specific commitment to make the English program better academically and a more appealing choice for parents, the term “enhanced” won’t mean much.
It’s also curious to note that while the English program is said to be enhanced, French instruction will increase from 200 minutes to 240 minutes per week. The idea is to beef up the French skills of those in the English program.
The other area that could use more thought and discussion is the board’s new approach to special education. Board staff plan to eliminate 39 existing special education classes while retaining 103.
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There is a clear philosophical preference for integrating students into regular classes. The staff report states: “Traditional special education programs and delivery models are built on ableism, or the unfair treatment of people with disabilities.” And yet, the simple reality is that not every child can function in a regular classroom, something the board acknowledges by retaining most special education classes.
One of the most frequent complaints about public schools is the disruption to classes that occurs when students with special needs are either unsuited to the regular classroom or the board fails to provide sufficient resources for them.
Overall, the board’s reorganization of primary education will do much to simplify an overly-complex structure. It will require short-term dislocation as some children change schools, but it’s the right thing to do.
Randall Denley is an Ottawa journalist and author. Contact him at [email protected]
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