Most students learn best in a structured and orderly school environment that’s directed by a good teacher
Picture a school in an underprivileged part of north London, England. One-third of nearby families live in poverty, a significant percentage are visible minorities, and the neighbourhood crime rate is twice the national average. What kind of academic results would you expect from this school? If you expected this school to score below average, think…
Divorcing a spiritual practice from its religious meaning is problematic and a forcible whitewashing of something deeply and fundamentally complex
By David Hunt and Brian Dijkema Cardus Most court decisions are a zero-sum game. One side’s win is the other’s loss. But this was not the result recently at the B.C. Supreme Court in Nanaimo. Both sides, and the public, lost in Servatius versus Alberni School District No. 70. One side wanted smudging ceremonies and…
Providing greater educational diversity through independent schools helps B.C. and Quebec achieve better student performance – at a lower cost
By Tegan Hill and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute One of the great advantages of Canada’s federation is that subnational governments can experiment with ways of providing public services and adopt the best system. In the case of public education (a provincial responsibility), the provinces can look to Quebec and British Columbia to learn about…
Despite excellent recent PISA results, Canadians shouldn’t be complacent. From 2015 to 2018, scores fell in all three subjects
Canada’s 15-year-old students continue to do well on the gold standard of academic testing, but with some concerns. The Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) has randomly tested students worldwide every three years since 2000. It recently released results from reading, math and science tests completed by some half-a-million students in 79 countries in 2018.…
To listen to the teacher unions and their supporters, the sky is about to fall if class sizes for secondary schools get bigger. The evidence shows they're dead wrong
Class war may soon break out in Canada. More than half of Canadian high school students are in Ontario or British Columbia. Teacher negotiations continue in both provinces with secondary school class sizes a central issue that could trigger strike action. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation wants to retain or lower high school class size limits…
It’s no accident that Canadian schools are among the best in the world. But if we withdraw education funding, the damage will be deep
Canadian schools are among the best in the world, and B.C. schools are arguably the best in Canada. This is so much the case that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is studying our educational system to see how we’re achieving such exceptional results. It’s no surprise then that Canadian teachers are among…
How do you deal with unhappiness at work? You find meaning and value in what you do
A recent study said 47 per cent of Canadians are unhappy in their jobs. Many cite lack of pay as the main reason but it’s not the only factor. Many find the work environment difficult or say their work lacks meaning. Of course, leaving a job isn’t necessarily a good thing. It can take significant…
We’re all born with a unique and inherent capacity to do good. The trick is to put it to use
As we go through life, we’re given many pieces of advice. Those that are most truthful tend to survive the test of time, and the best advice brings enduring happiness and a sense of peace. At an orientation social before I began my first assignment as a young teacher, I sang a song for an…
The goal of education is to stimulate constant growth in knowledge and wisdom in each individual
In the world of education, we’re preparing our students for an uncertain future. Some of the jobs of today won’t exist in 20 years. And new jobs are being created all the time, the likes of which we can hardly imagine. Our educational system was primarily designed during the industrial revolution. We needed clerks and…
Math scores are getting worse. Spending per pupil keeps growing. Something doesn't add up
Ontario parents are concerned about the state of kindergarten-to-Grade-12 education. The concerns are valid, despite an increasing amount of money being spent on education in the province. Results from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are alarming, particularly in math. There’s a pervasive myth that large cuts…
Picture a school in an underprivileged part of north London, England. One-third of nearby families live in poverty, a significant percentage are visible minorities, and the neighbourhood crime rate is twice the national average. What kind of academic results would you expect from this school? If you expected this school to score below average, think…
