Archive

What Matters Most in Education

September 19, 2024   ·   1 Comments

OUR READERS WRITE

I am writing in response to the opinion piece “Educate Instead of Indoctrinate” by Michael Zwaagstra, Sept. 5, 2024.

In his article, Michael asked readers to “encourage schools to focus on what matters most-teaching and learning.” To support his argument that Canadian schools have poor results, he sources the Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA). It shows our 15-year-olds are two grades behind in math and reading.

As a teacher in Dufferin County for 35 years, I find this statistic disturbing but not for the same reasons as Michael. “Why Canadians Should Be Sceptical Of PISA” was written by professors Hughes and Niyozov from the University of Toronto. Many academics, they say, criticize PISA for using their narrow results, not as “an educational tool to help schools become more inclusive leading to more equitable outcomes” but for “economic and political outcomes.”

As a curious lifelong learner and graduate of a well-rounded, well-funded public system in 1974, I wondered, who is PISA’s partner? A short search revealed Pearson ¬– a private global enterprise for online charter schools. That got me thinking why Michael from Troy Media would want to write an article to shame and blame public education?

Thankfully we can all still use our devices to source out unbiased truths. Troy Media is owned by the Heartland Institute and Aurea Foundation.  Michael is also a member of the Frontier Centre For Public Policy.

I will leave you with a little homework. Search these.

If you value well-rounded, well-funded public education. If you want your children to grow into citizens with open minds and caring hearts. And if you want them to live in healthy caring communities, then we must all engage in the care of one another’s value.

We will need ALL of our skills to live together in the challenging world ahead.

Lynda McDougall

Orangeville (ODSS graduate)

Readers Comments (1)