Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

Vancouver school trustees have resurrected a proposal to launch a Mandarin bilingual program for the city’s students.

Proponents hoped the program would be approved for a September startup, but that idea was nixed as the Vancouver School Board struggled to balance its budget that called for more than $17 million in cuts.

In late June, however, COPE trustee Jane Bouey moved a motion, which trustees passed unanimously, to introduce the program one year later—in September 2011.

Bouey believes the program is important even though the district is in tough financial times and laid off staff and cut programs and services.

“It is embarrassing that Edmonton has had such a program for 25 years and Vancouver, where there is a large Mandarin speaking population and thus many opportunities to practise the language, only has a late Mandarin immersion program at Jamieson,” she told the Courier. “It is our board’s hope to expand language programs available in the city. The opportunity to learn other languages is something that should be available to all children.”

The program may be based at John Norquay elementary at 4710 Slocan St, although Bouey said that decision hasn’t been finalized.