Most people are concerned about the quality of their
schools.
The Fraser Institute recently identified the “79 elementary schools... being
among the top one per cent” in academic achievement in Ontario and ranked the
other more than 2500 in descending order. The ranking they said “helps parents
select a school for their children and evaluate the school's ongoing
performance.
Seeing what other schools have accomplished can help other schools’
ongoing improvement efforts,” a fine objective to be sure.
The Fraser think tank, however, used data from the Ministry of Education's
“Education Quality and Accountability Office”: the results of tests that were
originally used to provide useful information about students' skill levels in
reading, writing and mathematics for the purpose of allowing educators to focus
on certain aspects of classroom programs and practice.
To use such data and call
it an overall picture of the quality of a school is questionable. According to
the Ontario School Boards' Association, it is misleading to take such
information and turn it into a “top 10 chart” without considering the profile of
the school community, needs of the students, available resources, etc.
While skills in the 3 R's are important, other more subtle indicators should not
be overlooked. Are the students beginning to gain an understanding of their own
culture and that of others? Are they gaining respect for their own lives, that
of others and the biosphere? Are they thoughtful, courteous and generous?
Are
they able to communicate through song, dance and bodily movement? Do they have
opportunities to relate ideas in the arts, literature, science and spirituality?
Does the school leader radiate love and the joy of life, and set a model by
his/her own being that teachers and students respect and emulate?
Positive answers to questions such as these can give a school a truly human
quality that is much needed in a world that tries to find easy answers to
complex questions.
