Posts Tagged ‘youth’

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Mandatory e-learning announced by Ford government comes under fire from NDP

Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

“this is not about 21st century learning, this is not about technology; this is about making students take courses online that are now mandatory… This is about removing 10,000 teachers from our classrooms.”… student leaders have already asked the province to back off on making such credits necessary for graduation.

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Posted in Education Policy Context | 1 Comment »


Mandatory online courses in Ontario high schools raise concerns for educators

Sunday, March 24th, 2019

In a massive shift to digital coursework, Ontario will soon require high school students to earn four online credits before they graduate — a first in North America. But with few details about the move, which begins in 2020-21, critics are questioning the rapid push to so much virtual learning so soon… “Although e-learning classes provide a modernized learning experience for students, these courses are not a good fit for everyone,”

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Changes to Ontario’s (still) flawed autism program show Ford government can be pushed back

Sunday, March 24th, 2019

… these announced “enhancements,”… don’t truly fix this flawed program. This still amounts to a $331-million plan that does not meet the needs, especially for those on the high-needs end of the spectrum and girls who are who are often diagnosed later than boys so doubly suffer under the government’s age discrimination, which provides far less funding for kids over the age of six. But the changes are a sign that the Ford government is movable and open, albeit belatedly, to listening to experts.

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Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »


Ontario teachers’ union says increased class sizes could result in thousands of lost jobs, vows to fight the changes

Friday, March 22nd, 2019

Ms. Thompson has said that the increases in high-school class sizes would bring them in line with class sizes in other jurisdictions… She has also said earlier this week that increases in high-school class sizes will help students become more resilient, and better prepare them for university and work… Those comments were criticized by educators, who say she provided no evidence to back up her claim.

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Why is Doug Ford so mean to children?

Friday, March 22nd, 2019

According to Thompson, larger class sizes will build “confidence and resiliency” in children who must learn to cope in “the world of work.” This despite solid research showing that kids build resiliency through positive and stable relationships. As a result, Twitter erupted with mocking posts using the hashtag #moreresilient. She’s only repeating the lessons being taught in caucus.

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We should ban cellphones from classrooms. The research backs that up

Thursday, March 21st, 2019

Our most effective teachers, though, have adopted coping strategies and already utilize some form of check-in and check-out system for devices. The Ontario government’s initiative is more about helping to re-establish purposeful, productive classrooms for the majority of teachers as well as those students struggling in our schools… Classrooms will simply be better places for learning without the constant and distracting presence of the devices.

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New funding will fill key data gaps, create Canadian information centre

Thursday, March 21st, 2019

The federal budget is channelling tens of millions of dollars toward filling key data gaps in housing, gender equality, the labour force and Indigenous communities, areas where researchers say Canadians are often in the dark thanks to spotty or inaccessible numbers… the Liberal government declined to make any firm commitments to fill these data gaps, even while acknowledging that Canada has many… “But the funding is likely to be highly inadequate to develop the kinds of data required…”

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Federal Budget Response 2019

Wednesday, March 20th, 2019

On pharmacare: “Today’s measures don’t fulfill the bold promises of national pharmacare including hundreds of dollars of savings per family in both insurance and out-of-pocket drug costs. / On decent work and skills training:… workers are now being asked to pay for their own training. / On housing: “… Taking out new loans from CMHC or retirement savings doesn’t make housing more affordable–it just allows for another source of debt financing that must be repaid. / What’s missing: Funding for a national child care plan

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Don’t balance Ontario’s budget on the backs of vulnerable kids

Tuesday, March 19th, 2019

First he cut a planned welfare increase in half. He ended a guaranteed annual income pilot program halfway through its mandate. Then he ditched a planned $1-an-hour increase in the minimum wage. Now his government is putting the province’s most vulnerable children in danger by putting budgetary pressures on children’s aid societies by changing up their funding formulas. So far that’s resulted in 26 child protection workers being laid off in the Brantford area.

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Ford government announces hikes to high school class sizes, but no changes to kindergarten

Friday, March 15th, 2019

The Ford government is boosting class sizes starting in Grade 4 through to Grade 12 while promising no layoffs — though teacher unions expect about 4,500 positions will be eliminated each year over the next four years… Education Minister Lisa Thompson… unveiled a number of education reforms… including a back-to-basics math curriculum, tweaking of the sex-ed curriculum, and a plan to have each high school student take one online credit each year. Class sizes will remain the same from kindergarten to Grade 3, and from Grades 4-8 will increase by one student.

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