REAL WORLD
Career preparation
programs introduce
students to work life

November 19, 1993 108 pages Office, Editorial 985-2131

NEWS photo Brad Ledwitge

Suite complaint

LANDLORD AND single-rnom Anne Gallagher (left), pictured with 16-year-old daughter
Jesyka, recently had gas service to her home in Upper Lynn Valley shut off. The Gallaghers
and tenants in an illegal suite, including a seven-month-old baby, had their heat turned off for
four days while North Vancouver District officials investigated a complaint made by the t¢-
nants.

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letter grades returning, mixed
reaction to Year 2000 changes

YEAR 2000, two words that were a source of anxiety and
dread for many local parents, are being dropped from the
provincial education ministry’s lexicon.

According to Education
Minister Art} Charbonneau on
Wednesday, changes to the school
system will now be called ‘‘educa-
tion reform.”

‘The name, itself, became a
lightning rod, even obstacle, in
getting on with the job,’’ said
Charbonneau.

The ministry announced educa-
tion policy changes on Nov. 16 to
what was called the Year 2000
program.

The changes:
® grade levels will be retained;

@ understandable standards will
be communicated to purents;

@ anecdotal reports will be drap-
ped in exchange for structured
written report cards for
kindergarten to Cirade 7;

@ there will be no mandatory
letter gradys at the primary level:
tuandatary letter grades from
Ciades 8 ta 12: teachers will have
to assess letter grades in Grades 4
fo 7, but it is up te the school
district to choose how che lever
Btades will be used:

© kindergarten to Grade 4 pupils
will be evaluated iecording to
theit age group; higher peades will
be assessed in retition to grades
and course standards,
@ Pld designations will be
eliminated; beginning immediately
sehoals will use kindergarten fo
Girnde 12 desipnutions.

Said Charbonnean, Students
will be expected to attain stand.
anda’

Charbonneau sald students in
Grade foand ap could Cail prades
inthe aew chiipges.

CWe ll listen ta the parents on
that ipa child should be held back
ayear, Ho parents aire adamant a
child should not repeat a yuade,
then Po think we have to respect
that." satd Charbonneau,

Charbonneau said the drapout
mule is sat expected foo inereise
With a return toa more structured
education systers,

He catled the defunct dual-entry
Kindergarten osystent oa blunder
made bs the previous adsministia
thom,

“Successtae?
Year 20000 propria

aspeets oot the
are rented

By Anna Marie D’Angelo
News Reporter

including the integration of sub-
jects and the multigrade grouping
(buddy system) of students in
classes such as reading.

“ve kept the things that are
working,”’ said Charbonneau.

Meanwhile, West Vancouver
Teachers’ Association president
Ron MacQueen said he was
satisfied with the changes overali.

But he said there was no sense
that more time and resources
would not be made available to
deal with the announced changes
that include school accreditation
and individual-learning plans,

“They take a fot of time, And
we are a litde concerned that bere
is one more job piled on the backs
of teachers," said MacQueen,

MacQueen snid basics ave
always been emphasized in school
despite a ministry: statement that
there will be renewed emphasis
on basics.

North Vancouver Teachers'
Associntion president Keith Denley
said the education ministry's ime
plementation and support of the
changes appeur to be vague eight
tay,

He sald there is a potential for
inconsistency in provingdal grade
reporting for Grades 4 to 7 if left
to the diseretion of individual
school districts.

Meanwhile Charbonneat sald he
is aware that the school year is
longer in’ other countries like
Japan. But he said there were no
phins to lengthen the school year
here.

“We ought to contemplate
whether or not we don't need to
consider the possibility. of adai-
tional instravtion hours," said
Charbonaeu,

He received quite oa
concerned letters from parents
about two receatly approved
nominssmcionae days for teach
ers. The soa-instructional days
wee to be used: for “community
imeraction,”

Said) Charbonneau, ies a
subject that b will review."

tow"

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