Disease Metaphor For 21st C Learning Experiments

Mr Education Minister — Stop The Education Blight Before It’s Too Late

People who study tree rings can tell a lot about a tree’s history. They can even tell if stunted growth results from such deprivations or assaults as fire, drought, disease, insect infestations, etc.

Now, in education, we do not have such growth rings to help us gauge defects visited upon children in schools — whether from acts of omission or commission.

However, observers do have some measures such as accountability testing which can place a student at, below, or above an expected grade-level. Unfortunately, due to extreme lobbying by fearful educators, evaluations are being seriously curtailed.

But, once in a while a brave soul from within the system will speak out and then we get some anecdotal information — even if it’s labeled “an opinion”.

Here is Carol Burris of New York, a High School principal with a number of awards for outstanding achievement saying about the 21st Century Learning plan called Common Core in the US — “Common Core will lead to misery, not higher achievement”:

“ . . . I am truly worried that we may lose an entire generation of students. The Common Core was hastily imposed and never field-tested.”

http://hechingerreport.org/common-core-will-lead-to-misery-not-higher-achievement/

Should we in BC pay attention to education developments elsewhere? YES, loudly YES ! Because education transformations, or “shifts” to 21st Century Learning are popping up in various parts of the world. And, lo and behold, the narratives are THE SAME — collaboration, competency, inquiry-learning, etc. — that definitely point to some concerted global effort along some predetermined plan !

In BC we just recently (29 January 2015) experienced a FORUM where one of the key speakers said this about BC’s Ed Plan/Personalized Learning:

“This is a pivotal moment for BC . . . if we can continue to work together in this way we can build on how far we've got and really accelerate and sustain this — we'll achieve what nobody else has yet achieved and that is to transform the system across the whole province… to enable all young people to have the skills and knowledge to be successful in the 21st Century . . . I wish you all the very best.” – David Albury, a leading coordinator with Global Education Leadership Program (GELP UK) consulting in BC.

Now, Mr Minister: Why is BC being targeted more than any other of these world projects to be the first to fall — hook-line-and-sinker — for this plan? People in all these other nations (US, UK, Australia, NZ) are having second thoughts. Why should we be speeding ahead without broad knowledge or buy-in by public and educators? Are we that gullible?

In view of your concern for efficiencies, Mr Minister, I would suggest a ‘HOLD” on this project, with millions of dollars already budgeted, so that there can be a proper REVIEW.

Both for sake of economic savings and for the rescue of our children and grandchildren from this blight of untested educational experimentation I urge you to put a stop to the acceleration and get us back to the basics of education and what parents and public want.

To Colonist (in moderation) ,My Facebook 04 Mar 2015