Every parent wants their children to have an edge. So I’m feeling smug.

My bilingual kids are now going to have an advantage over public school kids. The Calgary Board of Education has decided to make French optional. This decision strikes me as sad.

Let’s take the decision at face value. The CBE wants to save money. It’s easier not to figure out French language curriculum and who is going to teach it. It costs money – like everything that matters.

The benefits of multilingualism are well-documented – it makes kids smarter. Think of all the savvy kids who translate for their immigrant parents. Or who are just more intellectually curious about language and culture. Or who get jobs because of language.

Look at our own prime minister. I talked with a francophone Calgarian who is no fan of Stephen Harper’s ideology, but sure admires his language skills. “It’s amazing really,” said my friend. “He speaks French very well, his pronunciation is very good.” Harper no doubt has private tutoring, but shouldn’t the average Calgarian kid aspiring to top office, or the Supreme Court, or any role on the national stage, have the same advantage?

There are arguments for Mandarin or Arabic instruction since a lot of the world’s population speaks these languages – but I would argue to be a citizen in this country, English and French need to come first if we are prioritizing.  
I think the optional French decision is another bad move for the CBE.

The public system has a lot of competition. On my street there are nine boys; not one went to the designated CBE school for elementary. They walked further for gifted programs, private, charter or francophone schools. With so much choice why would you pick a school without instruction in one of the country’s official languages? Some might because they value proximity, or they have no choice. But should those kids suffer?

Maybe I’m idealistic but I think of public education as the great equalizer. Kids finish at 3:20 p.m., and are off about every second Friday. Can there not be French language instruction on those days by teacher’s aides, volunteers or part-time teachers?

It’s time for Alberta’s minister of education to step in. What should an Alberta child know at the end of each grade? Basic French needs to be in the mix.