B.C. group campaigns to include Farsi as second language in schools

In B.C. schools, there are nine provincially approved second-language programs and one group is pushing to make Farsi the next one included.

Farsi, also known as Persian, is spoken in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It's the mother tongue of over 28,000 people in B.C., according to the latest census.

"Having an opportunity for any new language [in schools], I think, is a great idea to have and, of course, there is a sizeable Persian-speaking population especially in Metro Vancouver but all across B.C.," said Amir Bajehkian, the founding member of Farsi Dar B.C. Campaign.

More British Columbians count Farsi as their mother tongue than three of the nine second-languages currently taught in school ahead of Italian, Spanish and Japanese.

The other second-languages approved to teach across B.C. schools are: American Sign Language, German, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, French and Punjabi.

Bajehkian has been in contact with the Ministry of Education as well as the school districts in the Tri-Cities, North Vancouver and West Vancouver areas with large Iranian communities about establishing the new language program.

Local demand

"The demand has to come from either parents or teachers," he said. "We want to start local and go province-wide."

His group is in the process of gathering hard numbers on how many students would enroll in the potential Farsi program.

The Ministry of Education said they are aware of the interest in having Farsi included as a second-language program and is supportive of the idea.

"The ministry encourages opportunities for all students to learn languages that are significant within their communities," wrote the ministry in a statement.

"By exploring a new language, and its cultural context, students develop an understanding of diverse perspectives and can better appreciate the role of other cultures, as well as their own."

All students in B.C. must learn a second language in Grades 5 to 8, unless they meet the exemption requirements.

The ministry is revising the language template process to encourage language learning and align with the province's redesigned curriculum model.

Beyond the nine languages included in the official provincial curriculum, some schools have developed local language programs teaching subjects like Arabic, Croatian, Russian and a large number of Aboriginal languages that are approved for credit.

Farsi Dar B.C. Campaign is hosting a kickoff to the campaign in West Vancouver on Sunday, Sept. 23.

With files from The Early Edition.

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