Lottery losses have B.C. parents hoping for French teachers from Europe

VANCOUVER — British Columbia parents who have lost the chance to get their children into French immersion through a lottery system are hoping the education minister’s teacher-recruitment trip to Europe will create more opportunities for early bilingualism.

Rahel Staeheli said she registered her daughter Milani for French immersion at two schools but learned in February that she didn’t get a kindergarten spot for September, landing her at 53rd and 57th place on wait lists. Staeheli has since registered Milani at a third school further from their home in Surrey, only to see her at the bottom of another wait list. “We contacted the school board after we found out our wait-list numbers and they basically said, ‘You’re never getting in,’ ‘’ she said. “We’re really disappointed to learn that there isn’t necessarily an equal opportunity for all children to learn our second national language,’’ said Staeheli, adding her father speaks English, French, Swiss, Spanish and Swiss German, and she wants her children to at least be conversant in Canada’s two official languages.

She said her daughter may have to wait to get into early French immersion in Grade 1, but fears she may again lose out on a spot because children with siblings already in the program are given priority.