Premier Brian Gallant is defending the decision to move french immersion back to grade one and maintains it was not done to gain some political advantage but on what he was told through extensive consultatons.
Higgs says he has been told by teachers that to be successful in french immersion, children have to be fluent thinkers, readers and writers in their own language first.
He claims 65 per cent of them are still not achieving the goal of being bilingual.
Higgs also wants a guarantee from the Premier that teachers won`t lose their jobs if they speak freely. The Premier responded that he and the education minister had a meeting with teachers and they were free to voice their concerns.
