When Samantha Quinn was preparing for a video call with Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, she thought everything was falling into place. One final step before her oldest child began her school journey immersed in French education and culture.

While her four-year-old had undiagnosed struggles — later identified as selective mutism — Quinn said staff at Welland’s French public school were supportive, allowing what she believed was a practice test before the official assessment.

“It just seemed like it was supposed to be,” she said. “Everything was pointed towards yes.”

But when the video call started, Quinn learned her child had failed the entrance exam, unable to respond in French, and that her family had exceeded their attempts to apply, and had been banned from reapplying to any Ontario franc

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