IN my Nov, 22 News
column, T told you
about a study of B.C.°s
traditional schools
undertaken for the BC
Teacher's Federation by
Arlene McLaren and
the Centre for Policy
Alternatives.

In The Naaiy af Chatee ss
anunremarkable and rather
slipshod effort, So why is it
imMportint to understand its
implications?

For one, this is not unbt
ased research. From the get:
go the quest tor choice in
education is pat down toa
right-wing agenda and the
crisis in education denicd
recognition.

Second, vou can be sure
that should the debate over
access to traditional schools
ignite again on the North
Shore, those who are root
and branch against choice will
be looking to this study for
support.

So tor parents, who have
legitimate concerns with the
way their kids are being
taught, a peck into what
they" re up against is helptut.

There is enough data to
suggest that despite the most
generous funding in the
developed world, Canadian
schools give cause for con-
cern,

“The largest and most rig-
orous international study of
schools and students eve
undertaken (The 1995 Third
International Mathematics
and Sciencé study),” places
Canadian students 19th, trail-
ing countries like Slovenia.

Yet more international
comparisons, reported by The
Fraser Institute’s Patrick
Basham, find the average
Canadian student hygging
behind the average American,
Australian, Japanese, Korean,
Austrian, Irish, Dutch, Czech
and Hungarian student in
mathematics, science and
reading.

Here at home, Helen
Raham of the Society for
Advancement of Exceilence in
Education has it from the
business community and trom
post-secondary instructors
that too many of our high
school graduates lack pre-req-
uisite skills in basic literacy,
nunicracy, critical thinking,
communication and problem
solving.

The Americans have ree-
ognized they too have a prob-
Jem. You’ve even heard
President Bill Clinton speak
about the need for standard-
ized testing. But in B.C.,
some educators are not con-
tent to deny the extent of the
problem in Canadian schools,
and proceed to condemn as
propaganda American efforts
to address the decline in stan-
dards of education in that
country.

An example is Dr.
MeLaren’s attack on “A
Nation At Risk.” This well-

sted study by the

n National

Commission on Excellence
was taken very seriously by
prominent U.S. educators,
government and industry and
has served as the driving, force
for traditional programs in
North America.

The American report doc-
uments 4 “decline in interna-
tional comparisons of achieve-
ment, decline in average
achievement on high school
standardized tests and a virtu-
ally unbroken decline in SAT
scores since 1963.”

Incidentally, it recom-

Friday. December 4.

1998 - North Shore News - 7

is need to get back to basics

mends “raising academic stan
dards in pulstic schools and
colletes, raping criteria tor
college admission. and ras
ing teacher quality.”

Hardly the kind of recom
mendations veut would expect
trom the masterminds of a
right-wing insurrection. But,
pereivably, a tireart to the

“By making
self-esteem, instead
of teaching, the
focus of education,

teachers
cultivating
bumper-crops of
ignoramuses.

are

sullen unionist and eduecrat,

In my search for a non-
partisan reference to the con-
tenzious “Nation Ar Risk”
report, f came across
Speetrian, the flagship publica-
tion of The Institute of
Electrical and Elcetronics
Engincers (IEEE).

Speetrim recently ran an

a tight te
HEPrOne Nak ain? science
vadite ation aS schools. ik
altos TN Natron Ar tik?

Pypenus fer ity rece
daticnts: the very paper
Mi Daren atronapts to discredit

Who do vou trast?

Phe TPRE. storing reputa
Tread and) all, wihese mission
statement here is to “make
sure EUS. secondary schools
provide nich emironment tor
future engmeers?” Or the
authors ofa paper intended ta
discredit chetce

Suggestions, The apelitncal
TERE talks about a resteactur
mig or educanan,

It argues that charter
swhools, which are anencum-
bered by many of the regula
tions that govern public
schools, have more freedom
than public schools to after
choices and options.

Consider that one such
American school employs a
parent with a PhD. in math
tron Stantord but no teach:
ing credentials, and vou atrive
ava possible reasen the anion,
which commissioned the
Mefaren study, might have
tor retaining its dght grip on
education,

The TREE also recom:
mends we take note of how
Japanese students, who rare
tops on intermational compar-
isons, learn,

In Japan, students spend
about half their time invent:
ing new solutions and think-
ing conceptually, compared
with 1% in the U.S. and, like-
hy similar ratios in Canada.

Somehow it’s hard to
imagine Japanese educators

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bong tiken tn by the buss
cal preuressive
cdacatian sys

word Mite
whi centres
them

“Coopeatbve tearning.
seit darceted loaraers, sollabe
mane imerdependent relauon
shaps autientis assessment,
wnecdotil reparting..

Thi touthtal is how edu
eators describe the child cen
tred par align unleashed on
our children. Phew coud, .

cast, be phigging a therapeu
te encounter group,

So what are we doing?

We know the value ofa
solid core-curriculiim over a
shopping mall assortment of
flimsy campes. We knew the
capacity of a Prerary caren to
OPEN NEW Vistas,

Selecting such a canon
micans making disanetions.

Literary titans like Dostocyske

or Faulkner are better for the
brain than literary pyemies of
the Margarer Anwoud aad
Mice Walker ilk.

Teaching history, more:
over is the best weapon
against preyudice and hate,
beeatise ets, net the day's
dominant doxies. pack a
punch.

Banish pop psvchology
from the schools and in the
process lose the self-esteem
talisman,

By making self-esteem,
instead of teaching, the focus
of education, teachers are cul-
tivating bumper-crops of
iznoramuses,

Besides, the self-esteem
remedy has lost its potency
much like antibiotics lose
theirs through over use.

sayy

In place at

the ASTANA

cr a forour kids mon the
Usttorenes betcea opinion
and tact se that chev ne

longer MH back on
“vores
space”

or

“Eteel 7
sok a
When motivating 4

pesiten
We have one ot the Fest

rindedd sestemps inthe world
vet we boast a hingrienal dhe
emet rate approacuag TS

sitar trie te tess up tea
problem of paradigm not ot
pocketbook?

Shannon Humphreys is on
vacation.

Keith A. Cameron

Barrister & Solicitor

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