Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Ontario to end streaming in Grade 9 and change other ‘racist, discriminatory’ practices
Monday, July 6th, 2020
The Ontario government plans to end streaming in Grade 9 — a long-standing practice that research has found disproportionately impacts Black and low-income students and severely limits their chance of graduating and going on to post-secondary education… The province will also introduce a ban on suspending younger, elementary-school kids — Black students are again disproportionately affected — and improve diversity in hiring and promotions.
Tags: featured, ideology, multiculturalism, participation, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
The 2020-21 academic year will be the best ever for postsecondary students who need a hand financially
Thursday, July 2nd, 2020
… students who will have to borrow to cover their costs – half the undergrad population in a normal year – should consider how much extra money there is this year. Enough to chop thousands off their total amount borrowed, and years off the time it takes to repay the loan. Here’s a list of financial resources available to students for the 2020-21 academic year
Tags: participation, standard of living, youth
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Ontario government asks feds to help expand internet access for students
Monday, June 1st, 2020
The Ontario government is asking for Ottawa’s… “immediate, urgent support” to address gaps in broadband access in areas of rural and Northern Ontario. “While most residents in Ontario have access to the internet, the speed, quality, and cost vary significantly across the province,” the ministers wrote. “Existing internet connectivity gaps prevent many elementary and secondary students from accessing the same learning made available to all other Ontario students, affecting education equity.”
Tags: budget, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Let’s admit it – online education is a pale shadow of the real thing
Wednesday, May 20th, 2020
… the massive and sudden shift in teaching at all levels exposes social and economic faultlines that pre-date the current pandemic… Even at places where in-person teaching will resume in the fall, the social and cultural aspects of campus life will be almost entirely absent… Given physical distancing, the in-person option will presumably be available only for small classes… online education is what we are forced to accept… that we’ve been forced willy-nilly into this viral-virtual corner is no solace, or solution.
Tags: participation, standard of living, youth
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
A recession is a great time to go back to school. Governments must help make that possible
Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
… unlike previous recessions, postsecondary education has itself been partly shut down… For the sake of Canada’s future, governments need to encourage young adults to keep pursuing their educations, and older and unemployed adults to consider a return… The pandemic presents an opportunity for educational innovation, born of necessity.
Tags: budget, economy, participation
Posted in Education Debates, Equality Debates | No Comments »
Federal government announces $9B financial relief package for students
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
The new program will replace students’ lost summer income at $1,250 a month from May to August. Those who are also providing care for someone, or who have a disability will have access to $1,750 a month. Current students, students beginning their studies in September 2020, and those who graduated after December 2019 are eligible for the program… details on the new programs will come in the following days.
Tags: budget, economy, jurisdiction, participation, youth
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Zombie schemes & bad outcomes
Monday, April 6th, 2020
I’m pretty certain the governments summoning the zombie of performance-based funding back to life realize that their inappropriate measures can’t possibly make any college or university better at educating anyone. Rather, it’s a cynical move in- tended to set us up for failure, so that planned cuts can be cloaked as the result of “objective measures” that are actually loaded with ideology. The point is ultimately to control post-secondary institutions, and the work that takes place in them.
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
Invest in colleges now to rebuild Ontario after COVID-19: OPSEU
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020
“It takes $4.7 billion to operate Ontario’s colleges… About $1.1 billion – almost a quarter – comes from international student tuition. As the government has cut funding, colleges have relied more and more on international students to make up the shortfall. With COVID-19, and without joint problem solving, that income will dry up – and so will college revenues. We’re looking at a postsecondary education catastrophe in the making.”
Tags: budget, economy, youth
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Catholic teachers’ contract deal provides $33M for special education
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
The OECTA deal, which ends Aug. 31, 2022, keeps class sizes as they are for kindergarten to Grade 3 and slightly boosts the average size of classes to 24.5 students for Grades 4 to 8. Because some Catholic boards had larger class sizes — and because the tentative deal says exceptions will no longer be allowed — additional teachers will be hired in some areas… As for mandatory e-learning… two credits are still required for graduation but the government also agreed to an opt-out policy.
Tags: budget, disabilities, ideology, youth
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Secret government reports say public doesn’t like Ford’s education plans
Friday, February 28th, 2020
“Do not increase class sizes” — and forget about e-learning. Those were two main messages for the Ford government from more than 7,000 public submissions during last year’s education consultations, according to the province’s own summaries obtained by the Star. The reports — which the government has refused to release — were entered as evidence at an ongoing Ontario Labour Relations Board hearing into allegations by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association that the province engaged in bad-faith bargaining
Tags: budget, ideology, participation
Posted in Education Delivery System | 1 Comment »
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