Tuesday, March 30, 2004

SPOTLIGHT: Minority language schools

Reading at lower levels

Students in French minority language school systems performed at lower levels in reading on average than their counterparts in English school systems, according to a new report.

It shows that the average reading performance for 15-year-old students in French school systems in four provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba – was significantly lower than students in English language school systems in those provinces. In Quebec, there was little difference in the results for French and English school systems.

A combination of factors may lie behind the differences in reading performance between the two systems. These factors include language spoken at home, socio-economic background of students, adequacy of school resources, and the nature and availability of jobs in the community.

Minority language school populations face a unique set of circumstances in each of the five provinces.

Mother tongue

Students in minority language schools were less likely to report the language of the school as their mother tongue. About 70% of students in minority language schools in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario reported the minority language as mother tongue. In New Brunswick, however, the vast majority (93%) of students in French minority language school systems reported French as their own mother tongue.

In addition, a greater proportion of students in these schools spoke another language most often at home. In French school systems in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Manitoba, about 40% of students did not speak French most often at home.

Students in some provinces also differed in terms of their family background. In New Brunswick and Quebec, students in English schools were socio-economically better off than students in French schools. However, students in French schools in Manitoba came from families with significantly higher socio-economic status than the students in English schools.

The nature of the communities where students go to school has been shown to be an important factor. In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec, students in English schools tended to go to school in communities where the socio-economic conditions were generally more favourable. In Ontario and Manitoba, there were fewer differences at the community level.

Inadequate school resources

There were also significant differences related to school resources and staffing in all five provinces. Students in minority language schools tended to be at a disadvantage.

The average student in a minority language system was enrolled in a school where principals were more likely to report that inadequate material resources and teacher shortages hindered student learning.

The report Education Quarterly Review, vol. 9, no. 4 is now available.

For more information, contact Mary Allen (613-951-0335), Centre for Education Statistics.

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© 2004, Statistics Canada.