A proposal for the deregulation of the Canadian school. Arguing that a broad range of school choices is necessary in a pluralist society, the author contends centralized decision making by departments of education obstruct parental choice. He also criticizes the tenets of progressive (or child centered) pedagogy, which he claims has captured the school system for the past three decades. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
"Canada's public higher education system is in trouble. The economic and social benefits of the Canadian university system are widely seen as a public good, which begs a pressing question: Why should we aspire to anything less than a great system? For that to happen, everything about the way universities currently operate, from the boardroom to the classroom, must change--but this kind of operational and public policy transformation will not be easy. Nothing Less than Great provides an expert analysis of the current state and challenges of Canada's university system, looking for positive change by reclaiming what a university is meant to offer for society and for citizens. Harvey P. Weingarten begins with the fundamental question that all students must ask about higher education: Is it worth going to university? From there, he stresses the need for transparency about what universities do and what they accomplish, addresses the importance of modernizing curriculum to emphasize skills over content, and provides recommendations for reform. Exploring how universities might--and should--change to reclaim their central purpose for Canadians, Nothing Less than Great will be of interest to anyone who cares about the future of our country and the important role universities play in determining that future."--
Over the last fifty years, Canada's public schools have been absorbed into a modern education system that functions much like Max Weber's infamous iron cage. Crying out for democratic school-level reform, the system is now a centralized, bureaucratic fortress that, every year, becomes softer on standards for students, less accessible to parents, further out of touch with communities, and surprisingly unresponsive to classroom teachers. Exploring the nature of the Canadian education order in all its dimensions, The State of the System explains how public schools came to be so bureaucratic, confronts the critical issues facing kindergarten to grade 12 public schools in all ten provinces, and addresses the need for systemic reform. Going beyond a diagnosis of the stresses, strains, and ills present in the system, Paul Bennett proposes a bold plan to re-engineer schools on a more human scale as the first step in truly reforming public education. In place of school consolidation and managerialism, one-size-fits-all uniformity, limited school choice, and the "success-for-all" curriculum, Bennett advocates for a new set of priorities: decentralize school governance, deprogram education ministries and school districts, listen to parents and teachers, and revitalize local education democracy. Tackling the thorny issues besetting contemporary school systems in Canada, The State of the System issues a clarion call for more responsive, engaged, and accountable public schools.
Are the learning needs of children and youth being met by the Canadian school system? Is it possible for all students to learn what is essential to function in our society? What must be done to reform schools? Canadian parents, business leaders, citizens, community and political leaders are asking these, and similar questions. They know that education is essential for their children, and they realize that our country's future depends on a population of educated citizens. This book is Bill McKerlich's response to these questions. Twelve Steps to Reform Canadian Public Education outlines both a comprehensive assessment and a thoughtful plan for the necessary reform of our schools written by an experienced educator. Focus: "To adjust the focal length of the eye to give a clear image." Our school system may have been adequate for the past, but is now out of focus with the present learning needs of our students. The system requires immediate adjustment so that it has a clear image of purpose, and how to achieve this purpose. As part of this process, it will be necessary to improve the early childhood development of an important minority of our children. Using our democratic processes, these adjustments will be discussed and changes decided. The results will be immediately planned and implemented. If this does not happen, effective public schooling for all children and youth will be lost, and a significant minority of Canadian children will not reach their potential to be happy and productive citizens. The resulting long-term negative social and economic consequences will cripple our society. Book Purpose: The purpose of this book is to assist this important public discussion by outlining a plan of school reform in twelve steps. The plan describes how the early childhood development of some deprived children can improve, and how the school system can be refocused so that all children will learn to the maximum of their ability. Book Organisation: The steps are stated at the beginning of the chapters in which they are described. The first five chapters centre on children, learning, teaching, and schools. The later four chapters describe the organisation, governance, leadership, and management processes required for schools to have all children learn. The twelve steps form a planned approach to improving schools with the steps often interdependent on each other. This approach is in contrast to the unsatisfactory ad hoc tinkering that public education has experienced over the years. The plan has direct relevance to the Canadian provinces, but may have some application to the education jurisdictions of other countries. Visit the author's website at http://www.reform-education.com
Sociology of Education in Canada utilizes a contemporary theoretical focus to analyze how education in Canada is affected by pre-existing and persistent inequalities among members of society. It presents the historical and cultural factors that have shaped our current education system, examines the larger social trends that have contributed to present problems, discusses the various interest groups involved, and analyzes the larger social discourses that influence any discussion of these issues. To achieve this, Karen Robson uses many current, topical, and relatable issues in Canadian education to ensure that readers fully comprehend the information being presented and leave with an appreciation of how the sociology of education is inextricably linked to issues of stratification.
This open access book is a comparative analysis of recent large scale education reforms that broadened curriculum goals to better prepare students for the 21st century. The book examines what governments actually do when they broaden curriculum goals, with attention to the details of implementation. To this end, the book examines system level reforms in six countries at various levels of development. The study includes system level reforms in jurisdictions where students achieve high levels in international assessments of basic literacies, such as Singapore and Ontario, Canada, as well as in nations where students achieve much lower levels, such as Kenya, Mexico, Punjab-Pakistan and Zimbabwe. The chapters examine system-level reforms that focus on strengthening the capacity to teach the basics, as in Ontario and Pakistan, as well as reforms that aim at building the capacity to teach a much broader set of competencies and skills, such as Kenya, Mexico, Singapore and Zimbabwe. The volume includes systems at very different levels of spending per student and reforms at various points in the cycle of policy implementation, some just starting, some struggling to survive a governmental transition, and others that have been in place for an extended period of time. From the comparative study of these reforms, we aim to provide an understanding of how to build the capacity of education systems to teach 21st century skills at scale in diverse settings.
With contributions from Linda Darling-Hammond, Michael Fullan, Pasi Sahlberg, and Martin Carnoy, Global Education Reform is an eye-opening analysis of national educational reforms and the types of high-achieving systems needed to serve all students equitably. The collection documents the ideologically and educationally distinctive approaches countries around the world have taken to structuring their education systems. Focusing on three pairs of case studies written by internationally acclaimed experts, the book provides a powerful analysis of the different ends of an ideological spectrum----from strong state investments in public education to market-based approaches. An introductory chapter offers an overview of the theories guiding both neoliberal reforms such as those implemented in Chile, Sweden and the United States with efforts to build strong and equitable public education systems as exemplified by Cuba, Finland and Canada. The pairs of case studies that follow examine the historical evolution of education within an individual country and compare and contrast national educational outcomes. A concluding chapter dissects the educational outcomes of the differing economic and governance approaches, as well as the policy implications.
