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| Back to school 2010 | | | | Rigor, stability and success will be watchwords for new school year By Debbie Horrocks August 25, 2010 - There is something in the air on that first morning of school. Rain or shine, the energy and atmosphere just feel different. Maybe, it’s because the stakes are so high, or because we all remember what it felt like when we were children. Maybe, it’s because that first school day, and the 200 or so that will follow to June are such a big part of the roadmap to each child’s future and, ultimately, our collective one here in Quebec. On behalf of the 105,000 students at our nine member school boards, the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) is also preparing for the new school year – one that it hopes will later be remembered for its rigor, stability and success. There are some important issues that will determine if those qualities ultimately define the year when school is out next June. Rigor. Quebec’s first graduates of the reform are now headed for CEGEP. Their eleven years of elementary and high school studies have been marked by a progressive, if sometimes-uneven curriculum that has been hailed around the world but too-often maligned here at home. As this school year starts, QESBA is relieved that the new Education Minister has accepted our advice and that of so many others, and delayed implementation of yet another round of changes to report cards and evaluation. QESBA has always maintained that parents must be given information about their child’s academic progress that is crystal clear. Parents are the key partners in the educational progress and welfare of their kids, and they must have the tools to properly play that role. Nonethess, QESBA is not of the view that a single “national” report card is required to make this so, nor can we support the government’s plan to reduce drastically the place of “competencies” in the evaluation of our students. Rigorous programs and a transparent set of objectives for knowledge acquisition are essential; that doesn’t mean that the complementary goal of teaching our kids the analytical skills and the personal automomy to manipulate such information should be somehow downgraded. Our teachers and school administrators have worked so hard to give our students the best of this hybrid approach. They will continue to do so. Quebec results on a battery of international tests consistently show our students to be near the top of the class in the key subjects. The standards and programs are in place; now is a time for consolidation, not further change. Stable. English public education is a cornerstone of our community across Quebec. The foundation upon which it sits is not always as solid as it might be, and thus, vigilance is constantly required. Two issues will command QESBA’s careful attention over the coming months: Access to English schooling is always a concern. During the approaching hearings on Bill 103 and its proposed amendments to the French Language Charter, QESBA will argue for a formula that will provide some needed oxygen for our English public schools, while allowing them to play a rightful part in promoting the French language rather than being absurdly targeted as adversaries to that objective. As always, QESBA will actively intervene with the government bureaucracy to defend against any erosion in the daily process of addressing English school eligibility. An upcoming summit on education, confirmed by the Premier last month, will address questions about the governance of public education and the future of elected school boards. As the only level of government directly elected by members of the English-speaking community, Quebec’s English school boards are a vital voice for stability and representation. QESBA will be vigilant and vocal in defending that voice. Success. The tools are definitely in place for a successful school year. QESBA and the unions representing teachers, professionals and support staff have signed collective agreements in principle that lay the groundwork for the delivery of quality services to our children for years to come. Additional resources are in place, and a new and ground-breaking system of value-added remuneration will soon give our teachers important recognition for going the extra distance on behalf of their students. Our English public schools have always identified high school graduation as the key component of student success. QESBA is a key partner in the renewed government focus on “la perseverance scolaire”. That initiative targets 80 per cent graduation rates for the year 2020. Our system, on average, is already there. Success, this year and every year will be measured by further improvement on those graduation rates. Whether this first day of school has you accompanying a young child to the school yard or just reminiscing about your own Day 1, public education requires the involvement and partnership of all Quebecers. A successful, stable and rigorous school year will depend upon it. Debbie Horrocks is the president of the Quebec English School Boards Association. | | |
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