Photo: Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
CSF seeks to inspire students by submerging them in Francophone culture while ensuring they acquire essential skills to succeed.
Whether it’s being eligible for careers in government, having a deeper connection to Canadian Francophone culture, or simply being able to communicate in one’s mother tongue at home or abroad, receiving an education in French can open many doors, both in and outside the province.
Here in B.C., there are several ways for your children to receive an education in French. However, if you want to keep them in public school, the two main options are either enrolling them in a French-language school or registering them in a French immersion program.
Deciding which option is the best fit for your family can be tricky. Both, of course, involve learning in French. Still, it’s important to know how the two are different from one another.
One of the key advantages of a Francophone school is that French is taught as a first language, with all teaching taking place in French, says Bertrand Dupain, superintendent at B.C.’s French school board, the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, or CSF.
The CSF, also known as School District 93, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality, free kindergarten through Grade 12 education to more than 6,200 students across B.C., following the same curriculum as the rest of the province.
Its mission is to inspire students by submerging them in Francophone culture, all while ensuring they acquire the essential skills needed for their futures. It dedicates itself to evolving with students’ various needs and interests, including the fun projects they carry out throughout the school year.
“Graduates from our programs are not only fully bilingual in both languages, but they also emerge with a strong sense of identity and attachment to Francophone culture, as well as to the larger French-speaking community,” Dupain says.
In southeastern B.C., the CSF has eight French-language schools, three of which are the elementary and secondary schools École de l’Anse-au-sable in Kelowna, École Collines D’or in Kamloops and École Entre-Lacs in Penticton.
“It is very important for our students to see the many opportunities that come with speaking French,” Dupain says. “When presented with a rich and diverse representation of the different studies or occupations that exist in French in their community, in the province, in Canada and in the world, our students feel involved and motivated by the multiple possibilities offered.”
Enrolling your children in one of the CSF’s schools also has its own advantages for you as a parent or guardian. “Studying at the CSF allows parents to become part of a close-knit community and allows their children to develop in a safe, innovative and inclusive environment,” Dupain says.
“High-quality education with personalized services for each student and family, free bus transportation and English as a First and Second Language courses are all benefits highly valued by parents.”
Additionally, students who graduate from one of the CSF’s schools leave with two diplomas: B.C.’s anglophone diploma, the Dogwood, and B.C’s Francophone high school diploma, the Cornouiller, which makes them more competitive in their post-secondary and job applications.
As is the case with all of the CSF’s schools, students must be considered “rights holders” to attend. This means their parents must be Canadian citizens with a Francophone background or otherwise meet the criteria under Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
There are a few nuances to this, however, so be sure to check out the CSF’s admission requirements if you are interested in enrolling.
For more information about the CSF’s schools, visit frenchlanguageschoolsbritishcolumbia.ca.
N’attendez plus, inscrivez-votre enfant dès maintenant dans une des écoles du CSF.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
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