<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="">Language Education Policy</h1>
<div class=""><br></div>
<h3>Date came into force or revised</h3><p>Came into force 1997, revised 2004.</p><h3>Status</h3><p>Current </p><h3>Policy statement </h3><p>In
accordance with Ministerial Order 295/95, the Required Areas of Study
in an Educational Program Order, Boards of Education must offer a second
language in Grades 5 to 8 to all students, except those students
exempted in the Order.</p><h3>Rationale or purpose of policy</h3><p>The
purpose of this policy is to describe the language education policy,
especially the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8. </p><h3>Authority</h3><p><a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/revisedstatutescontents.pdf" target="_self">School Act</a>, section 5</p><p>
Ministerial Order 295/95, the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/e/m295-95.pdf" target="_self">Required Areas of Study in an Educational Program Order</a>.</p><p>Ministerial Order 333/99, the Educational Program Guide Order.</p>
<p>Ministerial Order 285/04, the Board Authorized Course Order</p><p>B.C. Reg. 212/99, the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/d/bcreg_212-99.pdf" target="_self">Francophone Education Authorities Regulation</a></p>
<h3>Policy in full</h3><p>This
Language Education Policy is designed to recognize the official
languages of Canada and the growing number of other languages spoken by
British Columbians. </p><p>In the BC school system all students are
expected to achieve proficiency in the English language. Francophone
children whose parents qualify for minority language rights under the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are eligible to receive French
as the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/glossary.htm#language_of_instruction" target="_self">language of instruction</a>.</p><p>English and French will be taught as first languages, all other languages will be taught as second languages.</p>
<p>All students, especially those of Aboriginal ancestry, should have opportunities to learn an <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/glossary.htm#aboriginal_language" target="_self">Aboriginal language</a>.</p><p>The
Ministry of Education encourages opportunities for all students to
learn languages that are significant within their communities.</p><p>All students must take a second language as part of the curriculum in Grades 5 to 8, except the the following two situations: </p><ul><li>A
student has been identified as having special needs or is receiving
English Language Learner (ELL)services services and is unable to
demonstrate learning in relation to the expected learning outcomes of
the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/glossary.htm#second_language_course" target="_self">second language course</a>.<br></li><li>A student is enrolled in late <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/glossary.htm#french_immersion" target="_self">French Immersion</a> in Grade 6. </li>
</ul><p>Boards of education decide which second languages will be offered. <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/glossary.htm#core_french" target="_self">Core French</a> will be the language offered if the board does not offer an alternative.</p>
<p>Only second language curricula which have program guides listed in the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/e/m333-99.pdf" target="_self">Educational Program Guide Order</a> are eligible to meet the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8.</p>
<p>Boards
of education may develop their own second language curricula for
elective or additional language studies as permitted under the <a href="http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/schoollaw/e/m285-04.pdf" target="_self">Board Authorized Course Order</a>.</p><p>Boards
may apply to the Ministry to have their locally developed second
language curricula given provincial approval. (A locally developed
second language curriculum that has received provincial approval is
eligible to meet the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8.)</p><h3>Procedures related to policy</h3><p><b>English Language Learning</b></p><p>Boards
of education should provide programming that addresses the learning
needs of individual ELL students, including learning opportunities that
value the students' first language and diverse cultural backgrounds.</p><p><b>Francophone Minority Language Education Rights</b></p><p>Français
Langue première 10, 11 and 12 and English Language Arts 10, 11 and 12
are graduation requirements for students in Programme francophone.</p><p><b>Aboriginal Languages</b></p><p>Aboriginal
language courses (as with all second language courses) should be
developed appropriate to second language learners. Only Aboriginal
languages with provincial curriculum for Grades 5 to 8 will be eligible
to meet the second language requirement (see below). The board of
education and the local Aboriginal people should collaborate to develop
Aboriginal language curriculum and resources.</p><p><b>Second Language Requirement Grade 5 to 8</b></p><p>Boards
of education should attempt to coordinate the second languages offered
to ensure there is continuity of instruction in the same language for a
student in Grades 5 to 8. Curricula for second languages offered in
Grades 5 to 8 must be provincially approved. School boards may choose to
submit a locally developed language course to the Ministry of Education
for approval as a provincial course.</p><h3>Tags</h3>Second language requirements<br>Grade 5 to 8 requirements<br>French language learning<br>Aboriginal language learning <br><br><a href="http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=93A2746B883E4DA89C4E7E584D447E4B">http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=93A2746B883E4DA89C4E7E584D447E4B</a><br clear="all">
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