Archive for the ‘Education Debates’ Category
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Queen’s Park should save schools for deaf children
… depriving deaf children of sign language results in linguistic and cognitive delays that extend into adulthood… The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires governments to facilitate learning of sign language by deaf students and promote the linguistic identity of the deaf community in schools. Instead of closing the provincial schools, the ministry of education should work to enhance the schools’ environment and enable deaf and hard of hearing students to thrive.
Tags: disabilities, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living, youth
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Arguments for a one-board school system strong, but falling on deaf ears
The OSSTF proposal wouldn’t end publicly funded Catholic education. All existing school boards – public, Catholic and French language – would be merged. Combined boards could still oversee a Catholic education component… Full schools allow a greater variety of courses and stronger extracurricular programs, which translates to better education. Ending public funding for religious schools would be the best and fairest policy.
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction, rights, tax, youth
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Why universal screening for autism is a good idea
… research tells us that early intervention can result in significant improvements in social communication, cognitive function and play skills. It makes a huge difference that we identify these children early… screening tools that accurately identify toddlers at highest risk of ASD. These tools could easily be incorporated into screening at well-baby visits… Autism Canada recommends continuous developmental surveillance and autism-specific screening at 18 months, 24 months…
Tags: child care, disabilities, mental Health, participation, standard of living
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Finland’s social climbers: How they’re fighting inequality with education, and winning
This is a rare example of a country where national policy has been used to build a better pathway out of poverty and into a productive life. In recent years, that policy, while still successful, has begun to feel the pressures of a more diverse population and a fast-changing economy… what if… instead of spending money to make life more tolerable for the poor, governments invested in transforming children of poverty into productive, non-dependent, tax-contributing people?
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, ideology, multiculturalism, participation, standard of living, youth
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We need to overcome our national math phobia
… this move to embed math skills more deeply in Ontarians needn’t become a question of the sciences versus the arts. Quite the opposite: just as with increased reading skills, increased math skills will allow more efficient learning of other key subjects… Math teaches us logic and proof. It teaches us to think abstractly, yet precisely… We are preparing the current generation of Canadians for careers in the fourth industrial revolution and a world economy that relies on knowledge as the driver of prosperity.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, participation, standard of living, youth
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Most OSAP overpayments recovered
Ontario has one of the most generous financial aid systems in the country… Many of the issues around OSAP identified in your article are addressed in recently announced changes to Ontario’s financial aid system. In fact, almost all of the overpayments are recovered, and the amount not repaid represents about 0.5 per cent of the total assistance provided by OSAP to students in need.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living, youth
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Access to what? OCUFA’s full analysis of the 2016 Ontario Budget
Our universities are already the lowest funded in Canada on a per-student basis, and this situation will continue to worsen. This will have predictable effects on the quality of education at Ontario universities. Class sizes will continue to rise without new funds to support full-time faculty hiring. The number of precariously employed professors will also grow, trapping many in insecure, unsupported positions… the worsening financial environment begs the question, “access to what?”
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living, youth
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Why free tuition helps all the wrong students
Marginal enrollment from eliminating tuition fees will likely come from unmotivated, lower-ability students, and in less practical programs like theatre history or equity studies. These are students for whom university education is an unprofitable investment unless taxpayers are footing most or all of the tuition bill… Eliminating tuition fees will also have the perverse effect of discouraging students from graduating on time. Students are less motivated to avoid failing courses if they don’t have to pay for additional semesters.
Tags: budget, ideology, participation, youth
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Young grads need to brush up on 3 R’s, employers say
… the idea of entrance and exit tests of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving has value. “Sampling students at the front end would be useful to give us an idea of the state of people coming in, and offer immediate, focused help to get the student up to standard… It also would give professors a greater consciousness about the importance of these transferable skills, and students could use it at the end of their degree to show employers the skills they have.”
Tags: ideology, standard of living, youth
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Canada’s culture of research excellence
Global Excellence, an initiative I’ve been working on with academic institutions and government agencies, seeks to recognize and celebrate success so we enhance a Canadian culture of equality of opportunity and excellence. How do we do this? One, collaboration – often on a global scale… Two, whether you’re an individual or community, leverage your local strengths… Three, recognize that Canada is home to some of the world’s brightest minds.
Tags: featured, globalization, participation, standard of living
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