I am one of the rare cases of a Caucasian person who has learned to speak Punjabi fluently.
I was shocked at the comment by B. Frederickson stating that “your community pay for this.”
Are you referring to the Indo-Canadian community as if they are not part of your community? If so, you are sadly mistaken.
I would have loved the opportunity to learn the language in school, because unlike many other languages that were offered when I was in school, Punjabi has practical advantages in the work force, and day-to-day life in our community.
Official or not, Punjabi is the fourth most spoken language in Canada.
I would be curious to speak to officials from the fire department, police, city hall, ambulance, and hospital, and ask them how often they are required to hire French translators compared to Punjabi translators.
I commend the school board for considering this language as an option in our schools so that all our children can have equal opportunity later in life.
Let’s be honest here. There is a deeper underlying issue here, not the five cent increase on your taxes.
Shawna Zurowski