Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ 7 Ways To Fix Ontario's Dismal Public Education System

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I think that when you post a headline like this, you need at the very least to be able to show that the system is indeed dismal. This is a tall order in this case. Ontario's public education system is the envy of the world. It ranks near the top of international testing. And it prepares citizens to participate in a modern information-age society. So why say that the system is dismal? It may have a lot to do with the first recommendation: "subsidizing independent school tuition." By "independent schools" the author means "private schools". But this creates inequality, which as we know causes school systems to decline. As Doug Peterson writes, "Every child in the province deserves access to a consistent, quality education.  They can do that right now." There are also recommendations about curricula, testing textbooks and teacher training that are similarly regressive. If you want to see the outcome of these policies, don't look for them at the top of the international rankings. Look for them at the bottom.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 02:21 a.m.

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