QUEBEC CITY, March 7 (UPI) -- Quebec's education minister said Thursday she plans to do away with universal English immersion in the province's French-language schools by 2016.
Education Minister Marie Malavoy said students must first master their native language -- French -- before they begin learning English, The (Montreal) Gazette reported.
However, Malavoy said schools with existing immersion programs for sixth grade students may continue their programs and individual schools can set up new immersion programs.
The universal English immersion program would have students studying the language beginning in first grade.
Malavoy said she has commissioned the Ecole nationale de l'administration public to look into whether beginning English immersion in sixth grade is a good idea.
