Tying funding to parental choices generates strong incentives for schools to provide higher-quality customization
When Canadian schools suffer from poor track records and students fall behind, provincial governments always favour the same response: throw more money at the problem. New crises prompt political actors to request further rounds of new investments, reinvestments, refinancing, and improved financing — the slogans change, but the strategy is always to try to secure…
Should in-person learning be an essential service? Can parents and guardians be included in decisions?
Sometimes it takes a crisis to make things clear. Consider the last two years of rolling pandemic school closures. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Ontario’s government education systems largely failed to serve more than two million students well. Calls for wholesale reform to Ontario education have begun and include revamping all kindergarten-to-Grade-12 curricula and a…
In the midst of a pandemic, home-schooling is an important option. And tutor-led neighbourhood schools can help fill the curriculum gaps
Many parents are frustrated by the limited educational choices their children have right now. For example, a recent article in the Calgary Herald (“Parents regretting in-person classes with no options to go online”), suggests that parents are concerned about sending their children to school. They’re equally concerned by the lack of spaces in online courses…
COVID-19 concerns could open parents’ eyes to the crucial benefits of kitchen-table learning
David is the father of three children. While pushing his kids on the swings at his local park in Ottawa, he confesses to other parents at the playground that he’s concerned about putting his kids back in school because of COVID-19. However, he’s also worried about keeping them home in case they fall behind. The…
Greater accountability in teaching and learning could be a very positive outcome from this enforced homeschooling
Canadian students have been out of school for more than two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and parents are taking on increased responsibilities in homeschooling. In many cases, parents are reluctant teachers, asking themselves if they’re doing an adequate job. There are three questions they probably want answered: Can I do a good job…
Why do we try to force kids into the same educational mould – especially when we have the technology to do things differently?
With school districts in some parts of Canada drafting plans to reopen, it’s time we ask: What have we learned about education from the days our school buildings were closed? We might say we’ve learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that there’s a lot more good out there than we’d have hoped to imagine – a…
Transportation, infrastructure and maintenance costs will be minimized, as will human resources expenses
Hats off to teachers, support staff and leaders who have quickly led an historic transition from bricks-and-mortar programming to online and home-school learning for Canadian students. Considering the short timeline, adhering to the protocols set forth by political leaders, and the limited teaching resources, the educational community, students and families came together in the most…
Did anyone think about how many people will die as a result of the unnatural conditions forced upon us?
There are always unintended consequences to government actions, especially those hastily adopted. So Canada’s COVID-19 policies could result in an epidemic of deaths and injuries due to domestic violence and suicide attempts. During the 24 years that I practised family law, I observed a large influx of separation and divorce cases every January and September.…
Home-schooling successes show that parents and kids can be far more responsible for decisions about their education than imagined
By Deani Van Pelt and Beth Green Cardus Back-to-school means different things for many of Canada’s five million school-age children. For an increasing share of students in almost every province, it means something other than attending a neighbourhood public school. Home-schooling, while still small in overall uptake – Manitoba has the highest share at 1.5…
French schools increased their share of students, as did Catholic schools. And independent schools and home-schooling options are becoming far more popular
Choosing a school other than your local English public school is increasingly popular in Canada and Saskatchewan is no exception. According to a recent analysis of Ministry of Education enrolment data by the Fraser Institute, the share of students attending English public schools in Saskatchewan showed one of the greatest declines in Canada over a…
When Canadian schools suffer from poor track records and students fall behind, provincial governments always favour the same response: throw more money at the problem. New crises prompt political actors to request further rounds of new investments, reinvestments, refinancing, and improved financing — the slogans change, but the strategy is always to try to secure…
