D R A F T

NATIONAL STUDENT FORUM - STATEMENT

PURPOSE

• to express the views of a national forum of students on education, learning and schools
  
• to communicate these views and concerns to teachers, school administrators and education ministers
  
• to create a tool for student organizations and others to use in their schools or school systems in expressing student views
  
• to start a national, provincial/territorial and local discussion on how students can be recognized and involved in education decision-making.

 

INTRODUCTION

KEY POINTS/SUMMARY

• need common learning outcomes in each province/territory and, eventually, across the country
  

• balanced curriculum that includes the basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic), promotes high achievement, career awareness and preparation, personal/social development, the arts and Canadian values
  

• emphasis on basic skills, including good work habits, completing tasks, as well as "new" skills such as teamwork, interpersonal skills, public speaking, time/stress management, environmental awareness, logic, problem-solving
  

• promote Canadian values through renewed commitment to bilingualism, multiculturalism, Canadian history in world context, student exchanges
  

• increased relevance through more hands-on learning, practical courses in money/life management, up-to-date technology in schools, voluntary and recognized community service, business partnerships, less textbook learning, independent learning, good liaison with post-secondary institutions, advanced placement options, range of options for all aptitudes
  

• more support, including funding, for learning process and school systems through more resources for curriculum changes, promoting healthy school environments/low tolerance for violence, harassment and disrespect, more counsellors, better teacher-parent communications, support for small schools, help and evaluation of teachers, inclusion of special needs students with support, class sizes, teacher-student ratios
  

• formal role of students in school governance and decision-making such as student trustees and student representation on ministry committees

 

GOALS OF EDUCATION

ØPreparation for Post-secondary/Life-long Learning

Up until now the school system as we know it has done a less than adequate job preparing students for their post-secondary future. After discussing the matter, we, student representatives across Canada, have made plausible, helpful suggestions to remedy continuing student issues.

There are many ways to tackle school improvements. These are common suggestions regarding what schools can do. The following ideas were created by a majority of student representatives at the National Student Forum.

a) What should the school system do?

• Study/Work Habits and Skills
  
  If the curriculum were to insist on enforcing good habits earlier in education, students would be able to practice these skills and be more prepared for the demands of high school and responsibilities thereafter.

• Leadership Skills
  
  Emphasizing leadership skills essential for success in post-secondary education such as public speaking and teamwork, etc. are relevant and important to many facets of learning and working.

• Post-secondary Information
  
  Students need well informed input regarding post-secondary choices and complete graduation. More accessibility to counsellors will alleviate stress, and ultimately help students make informed choices of their own.

• Curriculum
  
  Students today are finding both university and high school requirements are higher than their capabilities. Mastery of basic concepts will benefit not only grades but students’ self-esteem as well.

b) To what extent is the school system preparing you?

• Inconsistencies in Learning Standards/Curriculum
  
  Inconsistencies within the curriculum have led to separate standards throughout all high schools. No one student should experience inequality or preference because of their particular educational program.

• Life Skills and Stress Management
  
  Students must be able to learn life skills and stress management for life after school.

• Application of Learning Skills
  
  Students must learn how to practically apply the skills they are learning in schools. More hands-on programs are needed in order to continue learning and make informed choices.

• Bilingualism
  
  Bilingualism must be adamantly encouraged. This nation has two official languages, English and French, and our education must fundamentally reflect Canadian ideals.

• Canadian History
  
  Canadian history is not a readily available course in all education systems. If taught consistently across the country it would do a great deal to develop understanding of what it truly means to be a Canadian

• Basic Computer Skills
  
  Basic computer skills are desperately needed for our students to keep up with the rapidly changing pace of technology.

c) Recommendations

• Curriculum
  
  Provinces must have a consistent curriculum. This will enable us to work towards nationalized learning outcomes.

• Basic Computer Skills
  
  Courses must reflect new technology in today’s market.

• Special Courses
  
  High school students must have the opportunity to partake in programs and courses advocating money management, scholarship application and other locally developed courses.

• Advanced Placement
  
  All students must be offered a chance/opportunity to partake in advanced placement classes and university style teaching.

• Group Activities
  
  Group activities are necessary for involvement, self-confidence and social skills. Co-curricular activities are essential to all students.

• Guidance Counsellors
  
  Counsellors must be hired in adequate numbers, and they must be willing to upgrade their knowledge and skills regularly for the benefit of all staff and students.

• Interpersonal Skills
  
  Programs such as anger management, tolerance, self-protection and defense, and conflict management must be accessible to students everywhere.

• University Liaison
  
  Programs allowing university students and representatives to lecture and/or speak with high school students will allow for better choices made in high school.

 

ØPreparation for World of Work

An important focus for schools must be to prepare students for their entrance into the work force. Although schools in Canada are consistently doing so, we students feel that the schools can have an even greater positive influence in the career choices made by our peers and ourselves. Canada can achieve this by consolidating its efforts on a national level. Canadian schools must teach their students relevant job skills for the 20th Century.

The sharing of experience would greatly ease the process of improving career and personal preparation courses citywide, provincially and even nationally. Commonly noted problems included the lack of proper training for the teachers instructing the courses, the difficulties of evaluating assignments based upon one’s personal thoughts and the subsequent degradation of the applicability of the course, and finally the often ineffective presentation and instruction of essential job seeking and keeping skills. It was also felt that many students find it difficult to get hold of pertinent occupational information either because of lack of references or, more commonly, a lack of awareness of the availability of resources.

a) What should the school system do?

• Career Preparation and Self-Exploration Courses
  
  This Forum, by bringing students together allowed us the opportunity to mix with our fellow Canadians. In doing so, we discovered that we all face similar difficulties in our school systems concerning our preparation for the world of work. Most evident were the feelings of frustration toward the current career preparation and self-exploration courses. Many feel that these courses have valid intentions, but that the application of these courses does not allow the programs to meet their goals effectively. The most widely expressed complaint was for the lack of consistency within cities and provinces, let alone throughout the country. The variance within these courses prevents students and teachers from comparing successes and failures and finding collective solutions.

• Technology
  
  Our generation realizes the need to keep up with the advancement of technology, yet students feel that this necessity is seldom well met within their schools. Lacking adequate funding in this area makes keeping up with the rapid advancement of technology equipment a difficult task.

• Job Interview Skills/Mandatory Work Experience
  
  Students felt that having a mandatory work experience. These could be either volunteer positions or work placements in community businesses. This work experience, if it is to be mandatory, must be arranged to be done during class time before the students senior years of school.

b) To what extent is the school system preparing you?

• Career Preparation and Self-Exploration Courses
  
  For this program to work, it is recommended that instructors be trained specifically for the position while obtaining their Education degree. The course would teach career skills as well as explore more personal aspects of preparing for life after school.
  
• Technology
  
  Keeping teachers trained to a level at which they are teaching their students current skills is an expensive task. Having current technology training opportunities for students within their schools is worth working around these road blocks
  
• Job Interview Skills/Mandatory Work Experience
  
  Although it is part of some schools' curriculum, it would be an asset to students to have this work experience or coop placement available.
  

c) Recommendations

• Career Preparation and Self-Exploration Courses
  
  In order to hasten the process of developing an effective career and personal exploration course it is recommended that a Nationally standardized career-oriented course be implemented within five years. The process of writing the curriculum for this course should include student writers. Having a similar curriculum and learning outcomes would allow students and teachers to compare accomplishments
  
• Technology
  
  To overcome the disadvantages placed on students due to lack of funding in the technology sector students looked at solutions involving corporate partnership. Realizing that there must be some guidelines for such an undertaking, the following was stated. Assistance would only be considered if a direct link to the acquisition of knowledge could be established. This would mean that posters and other such direct methods of advertising would not be accepted.
  
• Job Interview Skills/Mandatory Work Experience
  
  Some of the innovative ideas that students at the conference came up with were learning job interview skills and then inviting professionals and human resource managers from the community into the schools to perform mock interviews. By doing this, aspects of a real job interview, such as anxiety and unanticipated questions, would be incorporated. Students felt that job fairs or career symposiums were useful ways of communicating career information and should be held more often and more consistently throughout the country. It was also stated that there is a need to educate students about their rights as workers and their provincial labour laws.
  

ØDevelopment of Caring, Healthy and Environmentally Respectful Citizens

The foundation of being a successful student is based on caring and respect for others and for one self. This is essential in being an involved individual in Canadian society, as well in being a well-rounded student. Caring and respect for others as well as the environment, are lifelong lessons that need to begin at school. It goes beyond the boundaries of whatever field one may choose to study and truly acts as the root, the very core of the skills students will need, now and in the future.

a) What should the school system do?

• Community Involvement
  
  The school system must realize that a school not only provide students with courses which prepare them for post-secondary education and/or employment, but it must also encourage students to become involved and caring citizens. We feel there should be strong involvement between the school and its community. A school is part of a community and not an isolated institution within the community.
  
  Students should also be building an awareness of and respect for cultural and ethnic diversity. All students, independent of their cultural backgrounds, should feel included within their schools and communities.
  

• Curriculum
  
  The school system should provide curriculum focused on personal growth (for example, goal setting, leadership and interpersonal skills, etc.). It should also provide curriculum that increases students’ awareness of and caring for the natural environment
  

• Healthy School Environments
  
  Students expect to enjoy a healthy school environment. This entails upkeep of buildings, monitoring of staff/student stress levels, and emphasis on physical and mental well-being (for example, guidance counsellors and physical education).
  

b) To what extent is the school system preparing you?

• Community Involvement
  
  Some provinces have implemented mandatory community service to improve the relationship between students and their neighbours. This work is essential in establishing a positive impression of students within the community and enhances the students’ understanding and respect for the community. This method has proven fairly effective in the provinces where it has been applied.
  
  While many schools are actively working to promote cultural awareness and acceptance, some schools and communties are still experiencing difficulties in this area.

• Curriculum
  
  Currently, most provincial curricula provide limited course selections for secondary students in regard to personal development and environmental awareness. In some provinces, personal development is explored to some extent in health classes but not in enough depth to improve students’ attitudes towards themselves and others. As well, respect for our environment is taught through courses such as "natural disasters" and "world issues". In some other cases where the curricula exist, it is poorly implemented (for example, CAPP, CALM, etc.).

• Healthy School Environments
  
  An apparent lack of funding for schools across the country is resulting in poor maintenance of buildings and is causing physical and emotion distress for students and school staff.
  
  Due to an increase in inappropriate acts in schools, some schools have implemented a zero-tolerance policy for certain behaviours. Some of these acts include violence, harassment, disrespect, discrimination and vandalism. This policy is essential in creating a comfortable and safe learning environment.
  
  Many schools are seeing a reduction in available time for guidance counsellors due to budget cuts. While schools currently have guidance counsellors, many of the smaller schools do not Counsellors play an important role in assisting students in becoming well-rounded people.
  

c) Recommendations

• Community Involvement
  
  An effort to care depends strongly upon the individual. However, the school system should reinforce and motivate students to become involved with the community. Events such as volunteer work, school planned visitations to community nursing homes and soup kitchens, etc. could be greatly beneficial in teaching students about caring and respect. The students should be encouraged through school-based rewards for volunteering (for example, some offer a $5.00 reduction in tuition fees for post-secondary education for every hour worked).
  
  Schools should have cultural awareness weeks that reflect the diverse cultural and ethnic reality of communities. Support for student exchanges and cultural awareness weeks should be provided by the school and community. Furthermore, an increase support for exchanges would give students a greater sense of the Canadian community.
  

• Curriculum
  
  Courses that promote people skills should be effectively implemented across the country.
  
  Also, global issues that are current and relevant should be made an important part of the curriculum.
  
  We cannot and do not want to "force" students to care about the environment but by teaching them the effects of environmental damage, students will naturally take a personal initiative to care. Recycling programs and educating students about pollution at a younger age will teach respect for the environment. Activities that may spark the interest of students may include national, provincial, or regional competitions for fundraising recycling programs or clean-up campaigns.
  

• Healthy School Environments
  
  Increase funding to allow for improvements in the maintenance of school facilities thereby improving health and reducing stress. An increase in the availability of guidance counsellors is also needed. Support is also needed to provide access to motivational speakers and activities that build a sense of mental well-being.
  
  Greater emphasis must be placed on programs to control safety and security. There should be a very low tolerance of inappropriate acts that endanger the well-being and safety of the school community.
  

CONCLUSION

(Comments/Discussion)