Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jeremy. We have experienced many projects similar to the one you describe and our boys are in French immersion too. I could also go on at length about the poor quality of French (written & spoken) in our schools. My wife and I are bilingual but we are one of few families who notice the grammatical errors that are consistently taught as fact in the class - infinitives used as past participles, etc. I worry that we will graduate a generation of "bi-illiterates".

Yes, I am a product of the industrial school system and yes I am a baby boomer. I can't change that but I can read the writing on the wall and do what I believe is best for our children today. Our actions are the result of many bad experiences and much research, most of it conducted informally over the past five years.

I must say that I remember very little of the academics I was taught at RMC. All I wanted was to be an officer and the school stuff was of little interest. I have often said that the major benefit of my four years of college was that I had time to grow up a bit before I was allowed to command soldiers.

As for my Master's degree, I took it to improve my chances for getting a job. I also took the thesis option so that I could be in control of my learning. I only had six actual courses. My graduate studies, though in a related field, have had little relevance to my work in the field. The only time that a degree is necessary is when responding to a government RFP, because you usually get extra points for formal education. The majority of my clients are more interested in my specific experience and how it relates to their challenges.

So yes, I jumped through the hoops, but I've learned that education and schooling are separate things. I can say that most of the curriculum that was fed to me in public school and university was irrelevant. I got two degrees because society valued them. Today, when I hire or engage people for work, I give very little credence to their degrees. I'd rather see a portfolio.

In the end, we have to make our decisions based on what we feel is best. Our decision was made in light of educational research, societal trends, our specific circumstances and the wishes of our son.