When the Calgary Board of Education announced it would be dropping mandatory second language classes, I automatically assumed that I’d misunderstood.

Taking away a crucial part of a child’s education would render the school board’s name comically ironic, which would then result in the costly move of having to change its letterhead.  
But as the days passed and the CBE confirmed again its decision to remove the language requirement, I became as annoyed and frustrated as a welder on the Peace Bridge.

The CBE has said that it wants to give parents and children the choice of taking a second language. As someone that will eventually have to share the workforce with these kids, I simply don’t think they should have the right to make such an important decision. Do you?  If we always gave kids the choice, Kraft Dinner would be a traditional Christmas dinner and Justin Bieber would be our Governor General.

Kids are kids for a reason, and unless they have supportive parents, they shouldn’t be given such an important responsibility.  

 My hope is that most parents will be smart enough to ensure their children’s education isn’t compromised. It’s ignorant to limit your kids’ potential. And unless your looking to jump the line at Cowboys, when your child inevitably ends up working there, then why not allow them to have the best possible education?

The great thing about Canada is that we have the potential to teach our children so many fantastic languages including French, Spanish, Italian and German, for very little cost.

Swing by any number of this city’s post-secondary institutions and you’ll find hundreds of adults paying more than $600 a course just to learn a coveted language. The discovery of new languages is something the entire world has always appreciated – well, evidently everyone except the Calgary Board of Education.

A second language allows you to enjoy so much that this world has to offer. Whether it’s ordering a sandwich in Paris, bartering for tickets to a bullfight in Spain or enjoying Dim Sum in Beijing. 

Not to mention, you’ll probably be able to negotiate a better discount when calling a call centre.

The advantages of learning a second or third language are indisputable and in a time when we do everything we can to protect our children, why is our very own school board doing the exact opposite and robbing them of achieving their full potential?