It is this image that came to my head at the announcement of the measures contained in the inaugural speech of the new parliamentary session of the first Charest.
Here the Prime Minister announced on education and my reactions to hot.
Interactive whiteboard and portable
announcing that each class of each school of Quebec will have a smart white board and each teacher will be provided with a laptop .
argument advanced by Mr. Charest to support this:
"Our young people are attracted to new technologies. It's their universe. The school must be part of that reality. The blackboard, one we all known, will be modernized. "
I wonder a lot about the real impact of interactive whiteboards in the classroom. Is it really useful? Its use is it optimal or will he high-tech overhead projector ? These questions seem very legitimate and I must say they have found no satisfactory answers to them. Moreover, what training would I use it to learn and I will give it?
On the laptop, again, how this measure will she established practice in our schools? Who will manage this huge number of computers? Who will pay? Will it adequately trained in their use? Do we find also technicians Computer in sufficient numbers in our schools? Does it require a specific brand? Would I be able to integrate the software of my choice?
I would also note that schools do not have all the technical infrastructure to support the implementation of laptops and TBI. Who will pay for such infrastructure as wireless or cable connection?
In this regard, I note some important elements that learned recently:
- 32.8% of computers in secondary schools are not connected to the Internet.
- 62.1% of teachers say they use a "minority" of telecommunications applications of new technologies, such as correspondence, exchanges and forums.
- 51.2% of secondary teachers have a "sufficient control" of new technologies to integrate them into their teaching.
Overall, all these things will end up being, they, to use gadgets or actual teaching tools?
Sport
L e Sport is central to student life. It is a path of academic success. It creates healthy habits. It teaches valuable lessons about self, others and about life. There is a Quebec student enthusiasm for the sport. The stands are filled with students and parents the pride of school teams reflects on entire communities. When one is proud of his school, they stay and they succeeded.
announcing that the government will invest to build pride and ownership related to interscholastic teams. All public secondary schools in Quebec have the resources to improve training facilities and equip their team uniforms that students will be proud to wear.
Good for physical education teachers. But I will on this point.
English
Since 2003, we increased the time devoted to the study and mastery of French. Our language is our identity, it is also our strength. Our language is an instrument of freedom. In this, there is no opposition between the full command of French and knowledge of a second and a third language.
announcing that students in Grade 6 will spend half their year intensive learning of English. This approach will be progressively extended to all of Quebec over a period of 5 years. In this regard, we will highlight new collaborations between French and English school boards.
It is true that we increased the time devoted to the study of French, either, but we note that the mastery of it has not significantly increased with the reform. Instead, the results of elementary students in French have even declined. Never mind, let us go ahead with intensive English in sixth grade, so there is no consensus as to the risks it may pose to learning French.
Also, I can not wait to see how this will be carried out intensive teaching of English and the partnership between French and English school boards with the various agreements that govern their respective teachers.
Moreover, the risk of being mean, is that English students of the sixth grade will be eligible for intensive teaching of French as a second language? And if this is universal and compulsory, what will we do with some Montreal students from cultural communities where English is sometimes better than their teacher?
Civics and etiquette
Education forms citizens of tomorrow. It must also cultivate the art of living together and respect towards others, especially to teachers.
announcing that training in citizenship will be implemented in all schools and all schools in Quebec will be equipped with codes of life centered on respect for the person, the authority of teacher and principals .
What training? Produced by whom? Given under which course? We will adopt the code by June of living in my school. Will there be specific instructions on this subject before that date or will improvise it all? Legally, is it not governing board of a school to determine the content of a code of life and adopt it? The government will he change the law on public instruction in this case?
Charest has even indicated that he advocated vous classroom. Will he also tell me how to take attendance?
Conclusions hidden
Honestly, it looks like a dusting of action without real coherence. Is announced and we'll see. That lack of vision, values, realism. And a lot like what I denounced in a previous post . Yet time, we are witnessing the phenomenon of the inverted pyramid. It was decided in high places which will be good regardless of the needs of the base or base their choices on a rigorous analysis of the situation. It provides solutions without clearly understanding the problem. More importantly, it does not consult anyone in advance, giving the whole an air of improvisation undeniable, especially if one considers the case of the code of life.
Several speakers stressed elsewhere ( here and here ) that these measures do not meet the needs expressed by teachers and other various stakeholders and the education community.
most urgent measures have merited linger as pre-kindergarten to half-time for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds or adding support resources for students with difficulties, disabilities or who have behavioral problems. But with the recent arrival of Francois Legault in the political landscape, it should mark a major media coup and strike the imagination.
As a teacher of French, I note that these measures do almost nothing for the improvement of education in my field. With the intensive teaching of English, I wonder even whether I will not attend a decline in mastery of French youth.
While it is an important success plans that requires schools to adopt and a fixture in the academic progress of a student, I would expect that supports the teaching of French in order significant. Now, who harvests the jackpot? English and physical education. Find consistency.
An example among many: Jean Charest has announced any measure of reading among young people. Yet we all know that this is a shortcoming that must be corrected if we want to improve their academic achievement, particularly among boys. What good is an interactive whiteboard in a classroom where students struggling to decode words?
Let me be clear: I am not saying that most of these are bad. But they will not contribute significantly to resolving the various problematic situations that we are in education.
It is nice to own a bicycle for a young, except that it does not solve his problems with dyslexia.
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Another digression on reactions Ms. Marois, a former Education Minister and aspiring to the position of Premier of Quebec and François Paquet, President of the Federation of Committees parents Quebec.
Regarding the intensive teaching of English, Ms. Marois said: "Some children may also be retarded in their learning, particularly French." Need I remind you that this is the same person who suggested there was not so long ago a similar measure.
And now, concerning the reaction Mr. Paquet on the teaching of English Intensive "My two daughters have lived those courses. I installed in two schools and I know it's success everywhere. Parents want to have intensive English classes. "Did I told Mr. Paquet likes to talk to their children and use the first person? Now he has even established programs of intensive English at two schools on his own ...
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In Arcand, we gently mocked Mr. Charest's speech on education. Jean Lapierre speaks improvisation and end the regime. We questioned the appropriateness of a BIT and a laptop in unstructured classes found in several schools in Quebec. As for the agreements between French and English school boards, one wonders about the possibility of achieving the Saguenay ...
Vincent Marissal, La Presse, speaks of "dusting" the lack of measures for the teaching of French and that many municipalities are not even connected!
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