Winnipeg school to start Filipino bilingual program next year

Filipino Canadian trustees with the Winnipeg Schoo Division pushed for the bilingual Filipino program. From (L) Perla Java, Dante Aviso, Ann Evangelista. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Next year, the Winnipeg School Division is starting a Filipino bilingual program initiated by the Manitoba Association of Filipino teachers and shepherded by the division’s newly elected Filipino Canadian trustees.

The program is expected to begin in Sept. 2023 starting with kindergarten and Grade 1 students at Meadows West School.

Winnipeg School Division offices.

Perla Javate, president of the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba and WSD trustee, told CTV News that the program will be rolled out one step at a time. There were already 13 students enrolled as of press time. The program needs 23 students.

Dante Aviso, school division trustee for Ward 5, told CTV News that some courses including art, music and social studies will be taught in Filipino, giving students the chance to learn Filipino as a second language. Math, sciences and primary subjects will be taught in English..

Javate said there will be open houses to inform parents of the program and how it works.

The Seven Oaks School Division already offers a Filipino Bilingual Program at its A.E. Wright School. The Winnipeg School Division currently offers bilingual programs in Ukrainian, Spanish, Hebrew, Ojibwe, and Cree.