English learners growing — and thriving as well

Students new to the language at a peak, but numbers show progress, boards say

The number of students who need help with English in Edmonton schools is at an all-time high, new enrolment data shows.

Of the 98,914 Edmonton Public Schools pupils counted on Sept. 29, one-quarter are English-language learners, according to the school district.

The proportion of students who need help with English was up slightly from last school year, and rose markedly from 2004, when just five per cent of students needed assistance with English.

Similarly, 23.2 per cent of 42,510 pupils in Edmonton Catholic Schools counted on Oct. 2 are English-language learners. Nine years ago, that number was 9.4 per cent, said Boris Radyo, assistant superintendent of educational planning for the district.

Statistics Canada released data Wednesday showing 207,790 immigrants moved to Alberta between 2011 and 2016, which was many more than in previous fiveyear stretches.

Despite the linguistic, cultural and other hurdles they have to navigate, newcomer students often overcome the odds in Catholic schools, Radyo said Thursday.

“The English-language learners are increasingly showing that they’re motivated, they’re benefiting from the programs that we put in place for them, and they’re increasingly successful,” Radyo said.

The graduation rate of Englishlanguage learners in the Catholic districtroseto76percentin2015-16 from 71 per cent in 2014-15, he said. The students’ dropout rate is below the district average.

In just one year, the number of English-language learners enrolling in post-secondary studies within six years of starting Grade 10 jumped 20 percentage points to 71 per cent, he said.

Every Catholic school has a staff member responsible for coordinating the English-language learner program, Radyo said. They develop individualized plans for each student who needs the extra help.

Edmonton Public Schools has a team of nine English-as-a-secondlanguage consultants who work with the district’s 212 schools, and meet with parents at schools with larger populations of newcomers.

Schools can provide lessons and homework in multiple languages, bilingual books, and offer families language programs online, district spokeswoman Carrie Rosa said Friday.

The public district also saw a five per cent increase in the number of self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit students enrolled, compared to last fall.

The district has nearly 20 people employed with its First Nations, Métis and Inuit unit, which has expanded