Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!water!watcgl!jchapman From: jchapman@watcgl.UUCP (john chapman) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: equal opportunities Message-ID: <2157@watcgl.UUCP> Date: Fri, 5-Jul-85 16:55:46 EDT Article-I.D.: watcgl.2157 Posted: Fri Jul 5 16:55:46 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 8-Jul-85 13:38:29 EDT References: <893@mnetor.UUCP> <5642@utzoo.UUCP> <896@mnetor.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 24 Jim Robinson writes: > In article <2128@watcgl.UUCP> jchapman@watcgl.UUCP (john chapman) writes: > >If the programs even exist; last I heard your provincial government was > >cutting down on the ESL (english as a second language) programs/resources > >in the province. > > Unless they changed the rules all immigrants have to know one of the two > official languages. Thus, I would assume that the ESL program was directed > at the children of immigrants. If indeed ESL is the quicker way of > integrating these children into the mainstream, then it would appear > that cutting back on the program was not one of the brighter moves of > the Socreds. ESL programs are directed at anyone who needs them. My impression is that the majority of participants are adults or young adults (since children tend to pick up english in school anyhow). I had not heard of rules barring immigration without proficiency in one of the two official languages. They are either very new or not enforced because you can take a walk over to east vancouver and find a lot of adults who can't speak a word of english; in fact there was a bit of a row about this during the last provincial (I think) election. John Chapman