COMMENTARY

Let's Stop Blaming Teacher Unions

March 12, 2010

BEN LEVIN, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy. University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

A lot of education rhetoric these days includes mention of the supposedly negative impact of teacher unions on reform.  For a few commentators, eliminating union opposition is one of the most essential, or even the single most important component in creating improvement, while for many others it is part of the package. 

But here’s an interesting observation.  Virtually all the top performing countries on international education measures have strong teacher unions, including Finland, Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia and others.  Of course such a relationship does not imply causation, but it does suggest that there is no necessary conflict between strong teacher unions and good outcomes. Moreover, some countries or sub-national units that took steps to weaken the influence of their unions did not demonstrate any subsequent improvements and in some cases, such as England, later had to take many measures to improve the situation of teachers to get an adequate supply and thus to improve student results. READ MORE...

Study: The financial impact of student loans

One-half (57%) of the Canadian graduating class of 2005 had student loans, up from 49% 10 years earlier. Average student debt on graduation rose from $15,200 to $18,800 during the same decade. Also, the proportion of borrowers who graduated with debt loads of at least $25,000 increased to 27% in 2005 from 17% in 1995.

SOURCE: StatsCan

THE NEWS

$25m to poorer schools has been money well spent
By Kate Hammer, Globe and Mail
A pilot project by the Toronto District School Board aimed at improving inner-city schools has increased attendance, spurred parental engagement and improved academic performance in some of the city's neediest neighbourhoods. These are the outcomes of the three-year initiative, which saw $25-million dispersed between seven clusters of schools in an effort to even the playing field among all students.

Alberta Education streamlining cuts 35 staff, saves $4M
By Sarah McGinnis, Calgary Herald
 Alberta Education is streamlining its operations and cutting 35 full-time positions starting next month. The reorganization is aimed at providing more effective support for student learning and is expected to save the department approximately $4 million, said spokeswoman Kathy Telfer. "This does not affect what happens in the classroom," said Telfer.

Educational assistant cuts will hurt students: union
By Janet French, The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
The union representing many educational assistants in Saskatchewan says the province's proposal to change the mix of professionals helping special needs children in schools could potentially disrupt all students. Jackie Christianson, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3766, which represents about 380 school support workers in Regina Public Schools, says that division eliminated three "congregated" classes of special needs students last year, which included children with both developmental and behavioural problems.

Bouchard, tuition fees and post-secondary 'segregation'
By Kalli Anderson, Globe and Mail
Former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard garnered a fresh round of headlines as a spokesperson for a group of high-profile former-politicians and members of the business and university sectors calling on the provincial government to lift the cap on Quebec university tuition fees. “Quebec universities are hurting. The condition is not incurable, but it is chronic,” Bouchard told a group of business partners.

University-level students can and should pay more toward their education
By Peter Hadekel, Montreal Gazette
Ever since the Quebec government decided to freeze tuition fees in the mid-1990s, the issue of university financing has been like a nagging toothache that won't go away. A decision intended to ensure that access to university is affordable for all has proven to be an abject failure, according to a group of 16 prominent Quebec citizens. They called yesterday for a sweeping deregulation of tuition fees accompanied by increases in financial aid to students from low-income backgrounds.

How to take the bloat out of universities
By Carson Jerema, Winnipeg Free Press
Universities are money pits. There is little relationship between the funding they receive and the number of students they actually educate. Insulated from both the market and the government, there is little incentive for universities to be accountable to anyone but themselves. That is why it is so refreshing that the University of Manitoba has embarked on two massive projects -- one to address administration, and the other to address academics -- aimed at optimizing resources. The first phase is to be reported on at next month's board of governors meeting.

Haiti, land of higher learning
By Mireille Mathieu, Université de MontréaL
The violence of the earthquake that crushed Haiti and the scale of the suffering that ensued continue to shake the world at large. A new chapter now opens in Haiti: the post-emergency phase, a crucial period following any humanitarian disaster. It is a complex phase that is less scrutinized by international observers yet has many risks. Haiti can rebuild successfully with the help of its allies. Health care is necessary, but higher education is an equally fundamental part of a successful reconstruction.

THE World University Rankings
Phil Baty, Editor, The Times Higher Education
Times Higher Education's World University Rankings have become something of a benchmark for governments and higher education experts worldwide. So if the rankings have become an accepted reference point, why are we making such dramatic changes, switching our data provider and revamping our methodology? We are doing so precisely because the rankings have become such a respected reference point. If they are starting to influence strategic thinking and even government policy, we have a responsibility to make them as rigorous as possible.

Teachers quit over 'US-style' program at Aurukun, Coen State Schools
By Evan Schwarten, The Australian
SEVEN teachers have left a Cape York school following the introduction of a controversial teaching program. Aurukun State School is one of two schools running a trial program of "direct instruction" based on competency rather than age. "Instead of just bumping the kids up year to year it gives a much greater interrogation of their skill level," Education Queensland deputy director-general Ian Mackie told AAP.