Archive for the ‘Education Debates’ Category
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Universities are sitting ducks for reform
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Apr. 13, 2010
What the market really needs is a lot less marginal research, and better ways to deliver utility courses… Ultimately, this means a two-tier university system, with a few elite research-intensive universities, and more teaching-centred ones. …as the research model becomes more unaffordable, the future will look far different. Tenure will become much rarer and teaching loads will increasingly be handled by non-PhDs trained to handle a particular group of courses.
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Autism remains unresolved issue
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Apr 04 2010
There are 1,478 autistic children on a waiting list for the intensive government-funded therapy known as IBI… The government’s solution to the waiting list is to move more autistic kids into the school system where they can receive therapy and an education. With the right supports, kids 6 or older could be in school, thereby freeing up spaces for the younger kids on the therapy wait list… Tens of millions have been spent preparing and training 13,000 teachers, principals and other staff; yet only 170 autistic kids have been brought into the school system under the program.
Tags: mental Health
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For economics and decency’s sake, let’s help our Indian students
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Mar. 17, 2010
Unlike the rest of the population, aboriginals are on average quite young, and because their current educational results are so poor, it’s a very promising place to look for a dramatic increase in the supply of young skilled workers. But the key argument for the APSSA isn’t economics – it’s decency and fairness. The aboriginal grassroots are increasingly clamouring for change. Indian policy in this country is an expensive, shameful failure harmful to the intended beneficiaries and infuriating to taxpayers.
Tags: Indigenous
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Ottawa urged to end Indian band councils’ post-secondary funding
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Mar. 16, 2010
A new think tank wants Indian band councils stripped of their power to give out post-secondary education grants. Instead, it says, Ottawa should create accounts for each Indian child at birth that would be used later for tuition and living expenses… “The current system is rife with nepotism, corruption, favouritism,”… and much of the money doesn’t get spent on students at all.
Tags: Indigenous
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Ontario needs to raise its marks to compete in education market
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Mar 16 2010
The province has, at best, the combination of knowledge management capability in academia (the best brains are difficult to recruit; just ask Waterloo and U of T) and public funding to support the designation of three primary international research universities and 16 provincial undergraduate education/masters universities, with the latter integrated with the 24 community colleges.
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Post-Secondary Education [series of studies]
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
March 11, 2010
The last round of major deficit reduction took place 15 years ago in the 1995 Budget. The drastic cuts at the time left deep and lasting scars, especially for low-income households. We were pleased that the Déjà Vu Budget came with a commitment not to cut transfers to individuals or the provinces and territories. At least that is the commitment it makes now – pre-election. But there is lots of spending that could be trimmed. A good start would be the fortune we currently spend on the fortunate.
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A program that works
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Mar 08 2010
The model schools program supports innovative teaching and makes the curriculum more relevant to students’ lives. But it does not stop at the classroom door. Schools offer free hearing and vision screening, nutritious breakfast and snack programs, and after-school activities, vital in neighbourhoods where there is little to do and even less money to do it with.
To keep the program going…
Tags: poverty
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Education funding vital for native youth
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Mar 02 2010
Economists tell us that two-thirds of all job openings over the next 10 years will require post-secondary education, and they also predict that Canada will not have enough skilled workers to meet this need. Meanwhile, First Nations youth, the fastest growing population in Canada, are eager to get an education and launch their careers, but the financial support is not available.
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Where’s the money for schools?
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Feb 23 2010
The province’s $32 billion ReNew Ontario fund, launched in 2005, did receive $5 billion in federal funding, but that program has expired and Ontario school boards are already being told that the provincial government’s Good Places to Learn capital program will not be renewed.
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Boards lobby for increased special-ed funding
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Feb. 18, 2010.
Overall enrolment at the province’s largest board, the Toronto District School Board, has declined 5.4 per cent over the past four years, while the number of students with special needs has increased by 16 per cent.
This imbalance has created a special-education budget shortfall, staff say, partly because much of the province’s funding is based on total head count.
The TDSB says it operates its special education programs at a $20-million loss, which would more than cover the $17-million projected deficit in its budget for the 2009-2010 school year.
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