Skip to content

Asian languages, not French, needed in the future

For the Summerland families who believe their kids missed the French Immersion lotto, perhaps they should thank their lucky stars.

Dear Editor:

For the Summerland families who believe their kids missed the French Immersion lotto, perhaps they should thank their lucky stars.

The future of business, commerce and politics in the 21st century will be controlled by the people of China and India.

China has 1.3 billion and India has more than one billion people.

Those two Asian nations are the future.

Australia is Canada’s competition in the Pacific Rim market.

Today, Aussie children learn Mandarin Chinese and the Indonesian language.

Australia is several years ahead of Canada in the export of their resources to the Asian market.

On the west coast Chinese and East Indian companies openly advertise for employees who can speak their languages.

The vast majority could care less about Trudeau’s Charter.

Those Summerland families who believe they missed the language boat should re-evaluate their children’s future.

In many cases where French Immersion students graduate with high marks; the Quebec establishment today controls who is accepted for federal government jobs in Ottawa.

Unfortunately for many French Immersion students — too many — will end up with the wrong degree or diploma.

Those students not qualified in English, Mandarin Chinese or the major East Indian language will be part of the minimum wage labor pool market — the low wage workers who do the back breaking bottom end jobs.

I believe that in the next 15 to 20 years Ottawa will end up in the same situation as St Petersburg, Russia.

Ottawa will be a forgotten out of the way place, an old capital city.

Regardless of what happens in the future, Alberta and Saskatchewan cannot for much longer continue to pay the shot (transfer payments) for the eastern free ride from Winnipeg to St. John’s.

Western Canada must pay attention to and take advantage of its rightful place in the Asian Pacific Rim market.

Ernie Slump

Penticton