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Group kids by ability not age at school, public says: Government petitions ideas to remodel education system
B.C. schools should group students by ability rather than age, promote personalized learning but not at the expense of basic skills, eliminate standardized tests and provide more frequent reports to parents about student progress.
Those are among the ideas submitted to the Education Ministry after it made a public appeal for suggestions about how to remodel schools for the 21st century. The ministry is continuing to seek comment in what it has described as its “first grand experiment in citizen engagement.”
The “experiment” began in late October when Education Minister George Abbott announced a government plan for education renewal that would include an emphasis on personalized learning, critical thinking and quality teaching. But before developing policy, he said he wanted to hear recommendations from educators, parents, students and others.
To encourage discussions, the ministry posted several questions on a newly created website and invited members of the public to make submissions on what they think needs to change for students and how schools, teachers and parents can help make that change happen.
By Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
December 29, 2011
jsteffenhagen@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
What Would You Like to Change About B.C. Education?
The B.C. government wants to hear your views about what needs to change in public schools to better prepare students for the 21st century.
It has created a website at bcedplan.ca and has been posting questions. You can join the conversation here. A few days ago, the moderators posted a summary of what they had heard thus far. The recommendations included calls for schools to group students by ability rather than age and an end to standardized tests. Read that summary here and my story here.
My story prompted a Twitter discussion about the value of public consultation in education. While many of the questions posed by the ministry are easily answered, some are not. For example, how much weight should government give to recommendations for ability groupings in schools when there is undoubtedly research showing whether such a change is beneficial for students? Some tweets also raised questions about the number of people participating in the public consultation, given that the ministry has received only 1,000 comments in a province with 4 million people.
Now is your chance to get involved. Here is how the ministry website describes its “first grand experiment in citizen engagement” on the website:
We recognize that part of moving toward 21st century learning is being more flexible with how, when and where learning takes place. This means having greater flexibility in when and how a school operates; ensuring students have learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom environment and beyond textbooks, pens and paper; ensuring teachers and boards of education have more flexibility in how to deliver classes; providing students with more choice in what, how and where they learn; acknowledging that learning takes place in a variety of places; and so much more. That’s what we want to explore here.
by Janet Steffenhagen, The Vancouver Sun
December 31, 2011. 2:13 pm
More funding for B.C. K-12 students
2011EDUC0098-001601
Dec. 9, 2011
VICTORIA – Overall school district operating grants and average per-pupil funding have increased again this year as B.C. continues to provide record funding levels for K-12 education.
Operating Funding
· Total operating funding to school districts in 2011-12 is $4.721 billion, a $58-million increase over 2010-11.
· Average per-pupil funding as of the fall enrolment count is estimated at $8,491, a $98 increase over 2010-11.
· $61.7 million is now being released to districts, including $57.4 million that had been held for anticipated enrolment increases.
· $63 million ($1,160 per student) is being provided in supplemental funding for Aboriginal education in 2011-12.
· $385.2 million is being provided in supplemental funding for students with special needs in 2011-12.
· Since 2000-01, the Province has increased funding to B.C. public schools by nearly $1.4 billion: $977 million in operating funds and $407 million in one-time grants.
Enrolment
· Public school enrolment for 2011-12 is 556,045 FTE students, 973 more than last September.
· This includes 6,117 FTE students enrolled in courses during summer 2011 and a combined 10,709 FTE students projected by school districts for February and May 2012.
· The overall enrolment increase is a result of the final year of full-day kindergarten expansion. However, enrolment in grades 1-12 has declined by 7,046 FTE students.
· Actual September enrolment is 1,237 FTE students fewer than districts had projected in the spring.
· Since 2000-01, September enrolment has declined by nearly 59,000 students.
NewsRoom: BC’s Online News Source; Province of British Columbia, Dec. 9, 2011
Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect
Learn More:
See the new enrolment and funding information for your district in 2011-12 at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/docs/2011/fs_OperatingGrants_2011-12.pdf
See all provincewide enrolment and funding information for 2011-12 at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/k12funding/funding/11-12/
Media contact:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963
Deal reached with B.C. school support workers
The B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) has reached a tentative two-year collective agreement with unions representing 30,000 support staff in K-12 public schools.
The deal, involving the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and some smaller union locals, adheres to the provincial government’s public-sector wage freeze but includes provisions that will boost earnings in some cases. For example, educational assistants will receive an extra 46 minutes of pay per week, for a total cost of $7.5 million annually.
The agreement was negotiated quietly at a time when attention was focused on a bitter contract feud between the BCPSEA and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF). Those contract talks have been unproductive, and teachers have been protesting since September by refusing to write report cards, supervise students outside of instructional hours, attend staff meetings and perform certain administrative functions.
The two sides have been negotiating since March 1, but both report no progress.
In contrast, the parties involved in support-staff negotiations described those talks as collaborative and respectful. The framework agreement, which was announced today but still needs to be ratified by union locals, also includes $550,000 in new funding for a support staff education and adjustment committee.
The deal is from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012. It includes a clause allowing re-negotiation if the government alters its net-zero mandate and accedes, for example, to the BCTF’s request for a significant salary increase.