FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government backtracked Tuesday on its decision to eliminate early French immersion in the province, announcing it will offer a program beginning in Grade 3.

The move follows a court-ordered public consultation process during which thousands of people made it clear they want children exposed to French and English as early as possible in Canada's only bilingual province.

Education Minister Kelly Lamrock shocked many in the spring when he announced that early immersion beginning in Grade 1 would be eliminated in favour of intense French-language training beginning in Grade 5.

The only entry point for an immersion program would have been in Grade 6.

Lamrock stood up to angry parents, insisting the old system wasn't working.

But when a judge agreed with a group of parents that the changes were unfair and unreasonable, the government was required to submit the issue to six weeks of public consultation that produced the compromise announced on Tuesday.

"You can agree on a destination without agreeing on the road to travel," New Brunswick Shawn Graham said as the new plan was released.

Under the revised plan, all kids in the English schools will start in a universal English program this year. French language and culture will be introduced to youngsters through art, music and other programs.

Lamrock said the aim is to eliminate streaming in the province's English schools, a problem that has led to inequality in the system.

"This plan strikes the right balance between bilingualism and equality," Lamrock said.

"Streaming has been ignored for too long."

Beginning in September 2010, Grade 3 students will be given a choice to go into French immersion or the "English-prime" program where French language instruction will be intensified.

A Grade 6 entry point for immersion will be offered as well.

Lamrock said all students will be tested in Grade 10 for proficiency.

He said the target is to have 70 per cent of students proficient in French. At the moment, only a fraction of graduates are competent in New Brunswick's two official languages.

Graham said the changes are needed to ensure the province is meeting the needs of all students.

"It is something that is fair, inclusive and bilingual and focused on quality and equality," he said.

"New Brunswickers told us almost unanimously that they recognized that our education system could and must be better, that changes were needed."

Lamrock said the change is needed to make French-language training available to all students and not just a minority.

"We have managed to find a plan that we believe will strike the right balance," Lamrock said.

Under the old system, about 20 per cent of school kids in New Brunswick were able to make use of the early immersion program, which was never offered universally.

The remaining 80 per cent ended up in core classrooms that the government says were overcrowded and ill-equipped to handle the many special needs children with learning disabilities.

The government says the core program was doing so poorly that only 28 graduates managed to pass an intermediate-level French proficiency test last year.