Interest in creating a bilingual Arabic school program in Winnipeg is increasing as the number of people in the city who speak Arabic rises.

Dozens of people attended a presentation about options for Arabic in public schools by Manitoba Education and Training on Sunday at the University of Manitoba.

Ibrahim Eldessouky, co-ordinator for the Manitobans for Arabic Education Association, says with the growing immigrant population that speaks Arabic at home, there may be enough students in a few years to create a bilingual program in Winnipeg. (Radio-Canada) Ibrahim Eldessouky, president of the Manitobans for Arabic Education Association, said Arabic is the fastest-growing language spoken in homes in Winnipeg.

"We are increasing with a rate, in general, 7.3 per cent every year," Eldessouky said.

It's not the first time the community has met to discuss Arabic being taught in public schools, but Eldessouky said the difference between now and meetings two years ago is the number of Arabic speakers has grown enough to look at the possibility of a bilingual Arabic school.

Currently there are seven immersion programs teaching children in languages other than English or French.

Those schools include Indigenous languages, Spanish, Hebrew, German, Ukrainian and Tagalog.

Tony Tavares, a diversity education and international languages consultant for Manitoba Education and Training, outlined for those at the meeting the key requirements for a bilingual program and what can be offered now for Arabic classes.

Eldessouky said there are three private schools offering instruction in Arabic, but they are expensive and beyond many families' ability to pay.

Seine River, Louis Riel and Winnipeg school divisions offer weekend classes in Arabic and more are coming in the St. James, River East Transcona and Seven Oaks school divisions, but the group feels soon there will be enough Arabic speakers to qualify for a bilingual school.

"They need 25 students, from 23 to 25 students per class, same year, same age, same school, same school division, which is a little bit hard today, but I believe in two, three years we can fulfil this one," Eldessouky said.

Abdulaziz Almari, president of the University of Manitoba Saudi Students' Association, welcomes the concept of classes in Arabic. (Radio-Canada) There is support in the community and in the Education Department, but some school divisions have been resistant to even offering Arabic classes in their schools on weekends, Eldessouky said.

Abulaziz Alamri believes an Arabic school will help foster understanding and help newcomers feel more at home in Canada.

"Once they teach the language in public school, they will obviously be feeling they are at home," Alamri said.