Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
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Future health of Ontario universities uncertain as government refuses to change course on funding
Friday, November 6th, 2020
… the 2020 Ontario Budget promises to squander $60 million dollars on ineffective micro-credentials, which are a solution in search of a problem. With ongoing attempts to further privatize the province’s postsecondary education system by awarding university status to controversial private colleges like the Canada Christian College, this government’s proposals represent a real threat to the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the province’s universities.
Tags: budget, ideology
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
‘Quadmesters’ are burning out our high school students
Thursday, November 5th, 2020
COVID-19 has shown how desperately the education system needs to offer more options for learning for all different types and abilities of students: full yearlong learning high schools for those who need in-person and more time; semesters for those who can hopscotch through high school; virtual learning for those with high anxiety created by chaotic school environments; and a hybrid option to capture hands-on skills and remote learning.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, youth
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Province to scrap controversial teacher hiring rule
Thursday, October 15th, 2020
The Ontario government is going to… scrap a controversial hiring rule that gives preference to supply teachers with the most seniority… After years of complaints from boards and principals about Regulation 274 — which essentially forces them to hire from among a small group of teachers who have spent the most time on the supply list… Education Minister Stephen Lecce… prefers that schools hire the best fit for the job.
Tags: ideology, participation, rights
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Online classes will impoverish the university experience for students
Tuesday, August 25th, 2020
Students come to university because they want to change: to become something or someone they are not yet. This transformation involves looking at the world in a new way and interacting with people who have a variety of world views and experiences. This is so much harder to accomplish virtually than face-to-face. Online education is effective for a small set of students: those who are highly motivated, mature, and who already possess considerable experience learning online. Most undergraduates do not fall into this category.
Tags: budget, participation, youth
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Orwell’s Warning on Speaking Freely
Sunday, July 12th, 2020
… speaking freely is in danger… from liberal elites who, when tested, lack the courage of their liberal convictions; from so-called progressives whose core convictions were never liberal to begin with; from administrative types at nonprofits and corporations who, with only vague convictions of their own, don’t want to be on the wrong side of a P.R. headache.
Tags: ideology, participation, rights
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
De-streaming proposal lacks understanding of how courses delivered
Friday, July 10th, 2020
… the current streaming system is set up to allow students to take a diverse set of courses. Students are not streamed into an all-applied, or an all-academic, program; rather, each course is selected at the level deemed best… Flexibility is the key, rather than the one-size-fits-all approach of de-streaming.
Tags: ideology, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | No Comments »
School pandemic plans don’t work for working parents, province told
Thursday, July 9th, 2020
Other jurisdictions are thinking outside the box so students aren’t simply divvied into groups and told to attend classes half-days or every other day — and Ontario should be too… The “hybrid” model of in-class and online learning “leaves working parents with young children, single-parent households and low-income families in the precarious position of having to choose between educating their children and their own employment,”
Tags: child care, economy, featured, Health, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
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 »
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