Two government lines, two different dates.
"Although these are only recommendations from an independent commission and final decisions haven't been made yet by our government, I am pleased that the report kept the students' interests as its central theme.."
- Minister Ed Doherty, from a September 7 GNB News Release
"Before meeting with the students, I want to meet with the university presidents, and I also want to meet with the community college stakeholders," he said. "There will be an opportunity in the future to meet with the student groups, but our top priority today is to meet with the stakeholders at the university."
- Premier Shawn Graham, quoted in the Telegraph Journal on
October 11
If students' interests are the central theme driving the reforms, wouldn't these students be considered key stakeholders?
Showing posts with label really dumb ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label really dumb ideas. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Aren't they worried about the wrong set of student numbers?
Saint Johners are still feeling mighty raw at Rick Miner's idea to close down UNBSJ, and letters, faxes and emails are putting a fair bit of pressure on government MLAs.
Amidst government's desire for transformative change in education, however, they may be focussing on the wrong set of numbers (or no numbers at all, in the case of Miner's report). In 2005/06, according to GNB's own education statistics, local school districts 6 and 8 saw over 220 kids drop out.
Just this Spring, UNBSJ saw over 422 of its students graduate. While this is a fine achievement, a comparison to the number above suggests that in its drive for self-sufficiency, the province is looking at the wrong institution to reform. For every 2 graduates UNBSJ produces, Greater Saint John still turns out 1 high school dropout.
According to the last census, a high school drop-out in SJ earns slightly more than $18,ooo. A university graduate earns more than $45,000. All of this suggests that perhaps we need to radically overhaul our high schools, and not our institutions of higher learning.
But to do this, we'd actually need to have government officials look at numbers for a change.
Amidst government's desire for transformative change in education, however, they may be focussing on the wrong set of numbers (or no numbers at all, in the case of Miner's report). In 2005/06, according to GNB's own education statistics, local school districts 6 and 8 saw over 220 kids drop out.
Just this Spring, UNBSJ saw over 422 of its students graduate. While this is a fine achievement, a comparison to the number above suggests that in its drive for self-sufficiency, the province is looking at the wrong institution to reform. For every 2 graduates UNBSJ produces, Greater Saint John still turns out 1 high school dropout.
According to the last census, a high school drop-out in SJ earns slightly more than $18,ooo. A university graduate earns more than $45,000. All of this suggests that perhaps we need to radically overhaul our high schools, and not our institutions of higher learning.
But to do this, we'd actually need to have government officials look at numbers for a change.
Friday, September 14, 2007
My Saint John Includes UNBSJ
In what will surely go down in history as one of the most ill-advised recommendations in the history of NB government commissions, the province's PSE commission has recently recommended the effective downgrading of UNBSJ from its current status as a comprehensive university.
The poor souls found at the Edmunston and Shippegan satellites of U de M are also to be sacrificed, in the name of "transformational change" that no one really seems ready to embrace. All told, if the commission recommendations are to be accepted, students from both the Fundy Coast and the North Shore of the province will be forced to migrate elsewhere (including, obviously, out of province universities) if they hope to complete a 4 year university degree. The significant international perspective UNBSJ is bringing to New Brunswick will also effectively be undermined, as will the research capacity of our province.
Ultimately, if the most dramatic proposals are accepted, our fine province will be less-educated. Poor old Louis Robichaud's revolutionary experiment of Equal Opportunity (and its strong education component) is now facing the prospects of its own funeral. Let's hope these dumb ideas are promptly shelved, and the old man's expirement gets to continue. New Brunswickers deserve access to quality higher education today, just as they did in the decade in which UNBSJ and UdeM were first established.
The poor souls found at the Edmunston and Shippegan satellites of U de M are also to be sacrificed, in the name of "transformational change" that no one really seems ready to embrace. All told, if the commission recommendations are to be accepted, students from both the Fundy Coast and the North Shore of the province will be forced to migrate elsewhere (including, obviously, out of province universities) if they hope to complete a 4 year university degree. The significant international perspective UNBSJ is bringing to New Brunswick will also effectively be undermined, as will the research capacity of our province.
Ultimately, if the most dramatic proposals are accepted, our fine province will be less-educated. Poor old Louis Robichaud's revolutionary experiment of Equal Opportunity (and its strong education component) is now facing the prospects of its own funeral. Let's hope these dumb ideas are promptly shelved, and the old man's expirement gets to continue. New Brunswickers deserve access to quality higher education today, just as they did in the decade in which UNBSJ and UdeM were first established.
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