Issue #5 The Student Experience

Problem: 

Schools have a hard job balancing academic achievement, fine arts, respect for diversity, support for struggling or challenged learners; they generally do well but areas of concern remain.  One of them is ensuring that special needs support is not diverted due to budget constraints. Funds generated specifically for special needs students often get spread across other school programs (and without a requirement to notify parents). While support in unfunded areas is needed and appreciated (like providing TAs in other classes for struggling students that do not have special designations), this shouldn’t come at a cost to the special needs students whose presence in a school generated those funds to begin with.

Another concern is the loss to elective programs. Fine arts and applied skills are seen as “bonus” programs at elementary schools (most have them, but no guarantees), and at secondary schools have been pushed off of student’s timetables in return for core classes such as math. A controversial pilot started last year adds a mandatory term of math for every Grade 8 student, regardless of ability, and a cost to electives. This was done to address deficits in early math education that eventually show up on the Math 10 provincial exam.

Solutions:

Principals should publish for their staffs and public how their special education funding is allocated, and invite discussion and feedback on how best to support all learners with limited funds. When it becomes clear that funding shortfalls exist, this need to be passed on by trustees to the Ministry of Education.

The emphasis should be on supporting math teaching and learning in the elementary level, not taking away the well-rounded set of course that students look forward to in high school. Students with problems in math should get targeted help, rather than simply throwing more time in math class at every student.  We have great math teachers, but there is only so much time for students to experience a variety of subjects and find their passion. Missing out on electives in Grade 8 will means that electives programs in later grades may not attract the students needed for the program to thrive. It is the electives that often give students a chance to excel and connect to something they will pursue for the rest of their life.