Shopping for Schools: The Future of Education in Ontario (NO)
Kari Delhi

STUDENT LED TUTORIAL: Is School Choice Beneficial? Neil de Gray

SUMMARY:

Introduction to the Issue

· Quality of education been a major policy issue in Canadian politics

• Parents & experts concerned schools not meeting standards of globalized world

• Tests show poor student performance

· Canadian education system in crisis

· Educational reform has been recommended

• One reform offer greater range of choice to families

(i.e. local vs distant, French immersion, separate vs. private)

• Vouchers suggested to aid in cost of private schooling

• Many advantages and disadvantages to school choice

Shopping for Schools: The Future of Education in Ontario (NO)

· Ontario school strike for 2 weeks (1997) in response to Bill 160, The Education Quality Improvement Act

• Teachers argued Bill 160 would give greater power to the provincial government

• Result in large cuts to education budget

• Bill 160 was passed despite these efforts, has future importance

· Privatization of Ontario education increasing concern

• Gov’t changes leave doors open for market-driven schools

· Choice does already exist in schools, but market-driven schools would be a step backward

· School Choice Promoters have two claims

1.) “Such systems enhance overall education quality”

2.) System can be customized to a child’s needs (benefits children)

· Any school reform should be looked at its ability to enhance learning of all students

The International Context

· Many countries recently reformed education to include “School choice”

• Try to meet “the challenges of the new global economy”

· Those in favour of reforms argue

• Innovation, higher achievement, more opportunity, choice empowerment

• State system seen as costly, inefficient and a monopoly

· Those against reform argue

• Markets will undermine public education, choice “remains elusive for most families”

• Minority groups will “lose out” (racial, immigrant, poor, working class)

· In places open enrollment has been implemented following changes occurred

• budget cuts, per capita funding, centralization of curriculum, standardized testing, performance evaluations, reduction in collective bargaining, greater parental responsibility, quasi-autonomous regulatory bodies

• Above list resembles Ontario education trends

· Ontario already has forms of school choice

• Roman Catholic, French, gifted, alternative, music, tech. etc... all offered

• Options limited by geographic location, enrolment regulations (must admit locals)

• Budget determined by variety of factors involving enrolment unlike market-based where students become “commodities” to earn greater per capita funding

· Question arises how is a school chosen in an open enrolment system?

• Choices based on variety of criteria

• safety • distance • race • academic reputation • transportation

• Studies show school choice is different for levels of society (rich or poor)

• Large burden placed on shoulders of women, choice becomes their responsibility

• requires time, research, knowledge and is hard work

School Choice and Education Improvement

· No evidence school choice improves learning, just moves students around (disturbance)

· Different social groups choose differently, by choice or out of force

· Historical, political and economic factors affect the choices available

· “Popular” schools pick only the “best”

• avoid acceptance restrictions for minorities, poor, etc.. favour middle-class white students

• favouring happens directly and indirectly, “race” & class play large role

• results in increased segregation, social divisions and school achievement

· Neighbourhood schools suffer as best students leave

· Black students return neighbourhood schools after choice school was racist, had few mentors

· Choice schools follow almost identical curriculum and tailor teaching to test taking

• improved standardized test scores does not mean improved education

· Idea that by holding principal accountable to “customers” improves education is false

• principals preoccupied by budgets, image, enrolments, performance not education

• staff report greater stress lack resources, women absorb pressure of nurturing

• parents have to fundraise, participate in school governance (frustrating)

• often business men are brought in to run a “corporate” school; unrepresentative

• school becomes a business, more hostile environment & less detail to children

Conclusion

· Educational “market” is not an equal playing field

· School choice becomes a complex process where some are given more choice than others

· Reform deepens educational inequalities, women take on greater stress to make choice

· Education is not like a supermarket where competition betters the product

· In business few are successful and many fail, this would be the result of school choice

COMPARISON OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS

Public School System

School Choice System

- budget determined by many factors, enrolment being only one - choice offered ex. French immersion, music, tech., but limited by geographic location and enrolment regulations - private school not funded - neighbourhood children in same school - all students allowed to attend - very diverse group - needs of the students placed before money - ex. most of Canada and the United States

- budget determined on per capita basis - students become “commodities” in market-driven school - choice offered and not limited - greater responsibility on student and parents to make best decision - students select customized schools to best meet needs - students travel greater distance for school, away from neighbourhood children - often people of the same groups attend same school, less diverse group of students - students are selected based on credentials - school run as a business most important goal is profitability - ex. England, Wales, New Zealand, Australia

COMPREHENSION AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.) What is the privatization of the Ontario education system? Why has it become a concern to educators and students? Is privatization of Canadian social programs a good or bad trend? Why?

2.) Is school choice a viable option for the Ontario government? Will it improve the education systems in the province? Would you prefer school choice?

3.) In your opinion, is the current education system in Ontario in need of reform? Why or why not?

4.) In your opinion are standardized tests a good indicator of the quality of education in a particular school or area?

5.) What do school choice promoters often claim to be the major advantages of school choice? (Hint: there are two of them) Do you agree with these claims? Why?

6.) In your opinion, do you think the selection process for “popular schools” would be clear of favouritism? How does one make a fair judgment? Is it possible? Relate to university applications.

7.) Would you attend a private school if funded by the government (costs lower)? Why? What are the benefits, if any of the private school system? What are the downfalls?

8.) How would you choose a school? What criteria would you consider in your choice?

9.) Delhi argues that the choice of education path often rests on the domestic parent, most likely the mother. Does this extra responsibility place undue stress on your parent guardian? Relate to university applications.

10.) Answer the five multiple choice questions at the end of the package (3 minutes). Is this type of question representative of your skills in English and Math? Are these standardized questions a just method of evaluating a students ability? Would you want your educational future to rest on your performance on this type of test? Has your answer to question 4 now changed?

11.) School choice promoters argue that the public school system is a monopoly. Would allowing competition into the education system improve the quality of education? Do the practices of business apply to the running of an education system? Why?

TEST QUESTIONS

For the following two questions answer select the lettered pair that best exemplifies the relationship of the original pair.

1. Scapegoat : Blame (4 marks)

a.) Ingrate : Gratitude d.) Truant : Education

b.) Apprentice : Skill e.) Effigy : Hatred

c.) Trickster : Honesty

2. Atrophy : Withered (5 marks)

a.) Contamination : Impure d.) Inflation : Reduced

b.) Putrefaction : Preserved e.) Destruction : Violent

c.) Replication : Completed

Complete the following sentence by filling in the blanks.

3. To believe that social reforms can evil altogether is to forget that evil is a protean creature, forever assuming a new when deprived of an old one. (3 marks)

a.) rejuvenate . . allegiance d.) sustain . . episode

b.) eradicate . . shape e.) dissolve . . abstraction

c.) mitigate . . providence

Answer the following math questions by selecting the correct option.

4. The average (arithmetic mean) of five numbers is 26/5. The average of the first four of these numbers is 6. What is the fifth number? (4 marks)

a.) -1 d.) 5

b.) 2 e.) 6

c.) 3

5. When n is a positive odd integer, the sum of all integers from 2 to n can be expressed as k(n+2) where the value of k depends on the value of n. (5 marks)

Column A
The value of k when n is 75.

Column B
38

a.) The value in Column A is greater

b.) The value in Column B is greater

c.) The values are equal.

d.) The relationship cannot be determined.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

PAGE	WORD	DEFINITION
418	Bill 160	An Ontario provincial bill passed in 1997 that was made to improve the education system in the province. Greatly opposed to by teachers who went on strike for 2 weeks, but passed anyway giving government more control over schools. Fear it will lead to large budget cuts.
419	Centralization	To come or bring to a centre, concentrate on a single subject to this system. Studies have shown the school choice system to have a centralization of curriculum, or common curriculum.
419	Commodities	Useful thing; article of trade especially a product as opposed to a service. In a school choice system students become commodities to raise funds.
419	Curriculum	A course of study, material to be studied.
418	Equitable	Fair or just; valid in equity as opposed to law. The selection process for popular schools is not equitable.
418	Garnered	Store, deposit or collect. The teacher’s strike in 1997 garnered much support from parents.
420	Idiosyncratically	Mental constitution, view or feeling, mode of behaviour peculiar to a person.
422	Market-driven	Continued for reasons of economic gain and competition. Schools in the school choice system are said to be market-driven, they stay open to make a profit and compete.
419	Monopoly	Exclusive possession of the selling of some commodity or service; this conferred as privilege by State. The current public system is criticized for being a monopoly.
418	Open Enrolment	Anybody is capable of applying and attending any school of their choice.
421	Per capita	In relation to funding, refers to the amount of funds given to each student. The greater the enrolment the more funds received by the school. Ex. $50 a student.
418	Privatization	Not open to the public, kept or removed from public control. The Ontario school system may become privatized, out of government ownership.
419	Quasi-autonomous	Quasi - not real, as if it were Autonomous - personal freedom, freedom of the will A quasi-autonomous body is created to review teacher performance in the school choice system.
418	Reform	Removal of abuse especially in politics, improvement made or suggested by removal of errors or abandonment of imperfections. A reform has been suggested in the Canadian education system.
418	School Choice	Where public and private schools compete for students in an environment of open enrolment and per capita funding. Students pick the school they want to attend.
421	Segregation	Enforced separation of different racial groups in a community. Studies show school choice increases segregation and social divisions.
409	Vouchers	Document, receipt etc... establishing the payment of money or the truth of accounts; document which can be exchanged for goods or services as token of payment. School choice promoters want private school students to receive government support in the form of vouchers.