ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL: Distinct Solutions for Distinct Needs
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Advisory Board on English Education SEPTEMBER 2013 ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL: Distinct solutions for distinct needs Brief presented to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL: Distinct solutions for distinct needs ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL: Distinct solutions for distinct needs ADVISORY BOARD ON ENGLISH EDUCATION The mandate of the Advisory Board on English Education (ABEE) is to advise the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports on all matters affecting the educational services offered in English elementary and secondary schools and vocational and adult education centres. The Minister may also ask the Board for advice on a specific topic. The Minister names the members to the Advisory Board. The term of office is normally three years. Candidates are nominated by various English education associations and organizations that represent, among others, teachers, parents, school and board adminis-- trators and commissioners, as well as individuals involved in postsecondary education. Nominations can be received at any time. 2012-2013 Members Ms. Anne Beamish Mr. Stephen Kohner Mr. Grant Brown Ms. Debra Laurie Ms. Liette Chamberland Ms. Pascale L’Heureux Dr. Cindy Finn Mr. Mario Pasteris Dr. Corinne Haigh Ms. Carmela Reino Ms. Joanne Henrico Ms. Megan Seline Ms. Gloria Keenan Ms. Theodora Stathopoulos Ms. Judy Kelley Mr. John Watson Chair: Dr. Cathrine Le Maistre Ex officio: Mr. Leo La France, Assistant Deputy Minister Secretary and researcher: Ms. Lynn Travers Administrative support: Ms. Juliette Larouche Linguistic revision: DSCA–SL Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) Translation: DC-SL Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) Advisory Board on English Education 600, rue Fullum, 11e étage Montréal (Québec) H2K 4L1 Tel.: 514-873-5656 Fax: 514-864-4181 [email protected] www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/abee ISBN 978-2-550-69621-6 (Print) (Édition française : ISBN 978-2-550-69620-9) Previous publications of the Advisory Board ISBN 978-2-550-69622-3 (Online) are available on: www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/abee (Édition française : ISBN 978-2-550-69587-5) © Gouvernement du Québec Legal Deposit – Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2013 2 25/11/13 09:54 Advisory Board on English Education SEPTEMBER 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS ADVISORY BOARD ON ENGLISH EDUCATION ............................... 2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 5 1.0 Distinctiveness of the English-language system ................... 6 1.1 Factors noted in previous reports ....................................... 6 1.2 The need for graduates to be bilingual ............................... 7 1.3 Parental involvement ....................................................... 8 1.4 Teacher involvement ....................................................... 8 1.5 Graduation and retention rates ......................................... 8 1.6 Delivery of services ......................................................... 9 1.7 Collaboration and cooperation ........................................... 10 1.8 Culture of lifelong learning ................................................ 11 1.9 Summary ........................................................................ 11 2.0 The effect of distance .......................................................... 12 2.1 Size of school board territories .......................................... 12 2.2 Distance between schools in off-island boards .................... 12 2.3 Transportation costs ......................................................... 14 2.4 Summary ........................................................................ 15 3.0 Demographics ..................................................................... 16 3.1 Change in English schools’ enrollments since the 1970s ...... 16 3.2 Some consequences of declining enrollment ....................... 17 3.3 Summary ........................................................................ 18 3 ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL: Distinct solutions for distinct needs 4.0 Diversity in the English system ............................................. 19 4.1 Demographic diversity ...................................................... 19 4.2 The current composition of “English-language” schools ....... 20 4.3 Diversity in the classroom: Inclusion of students with special needs in regular classes ........................................ 20 4.4 Diversity within and between school boards ........................ 22 4.5 Summary ........................................................................ 22 5.0 Distribution of resources ...................................................... 23 5.1 Amount of funding ........................................................... 23 5.2 Accountability and targeted funding ................................... 23 5.3 Funding through regional tables ........................................ 24 5.4 “Entente” funding ............................................................ 24 5.4.1 LEARN ..................................................................... 24 5.4.2 Community Learning Centres (CLCs). ................................. 25 5.4.3 Leadership Committee for English Education in Quebec (LCEEQ) .. 26 5.4.4 Professional Development and Innovation Grants (PDIG) ............ 27 5.5 Summary ........................................................................ 27 6.0 Decision-making .................................................................. 28 6.1 School Boards ................................................................ 28 6.2 Quebec English School Boards Association ......................... 29 6.3 Summary ........................................................................ 29 7.0 Conclusions ......................................................................... 30 APPENDIX ................................................................................... 32 Guests for this brief ........................................................................ 32 4 Advisory Board on English Education SEPTEMBER 2013 INTRODUCTION Education for all students in public schools in Québec is In this report to the Minister, the Advisory Board on English governed by the Education Act, a law that prescribes a common Education is taking the opportunity to review the themes set of rules for all public school boards, schools and centres. and concerns identified in earlier correspondence, reports The Act is supported by the Basic School Regulations and and briefs that continue to describe English education in further sustained by the Budgetary Rules with the intention of Québec accurately, and to update them with current examples ensuring a level playing field for all students. of both concerns and successes. We emphasize that there is no intention to promote one system over another, nor to assign But there are realities in the Québec education system that fault. We believe that many of the inherent difficulties faced by are unique to the English sector. Since the genesis of linguistic English school boards, schools and centres could be mitigated school boards, English-language boards have evolved and if MELS were to take better account of the differences between have adapted what they do. Their recognition of the distinctive- the two sectors in its policies and their implementation. It is ness and diverse needs of the English community have made hoped that a description of the distinctiveness of the English English-language school boards more creative and flexible and, sector and how it functions differently from the French sector will within the parameters of the law and its attendant regulations provide some insight as to how the English system is frequently and budgetary provisions, they have suited education to the constrained by many of the Ministry’s policies, especially in their needs of their communities and their students, recognizing that application, and indicate the need for flexibility in implementing one size does not fit all. In the words of Ms. Gretta Chambers, policy. This will ensure that the English education system can founding Chair of the Advisory Board on English Education continue to prepare its graduates to participate fully in the life (ABEE), “English education is not a translation of French of Québec society. education—it’s a separate culture.” The English education sector is, in a sense, a distinct society within a distinct society. Given the fact that both English and French language school Moreover, each school board is different, one from another, boards and schools function within the same prescriptive and there are distinctions within each school board. regulations, why do English school boards claim that there are differences between the two systems, and what is it that The English education sector is anxious to maintain its vitality constitutes these differences? and to preserve the things that it does well. In the course of its meetings, it is always informative and exciting for the And why do they claim that they have needs that differ from Advisory Board to hear about the variety of activities taking those of their French language counterparts? place within the English sector, both in and out of school, to promote student success, retention, and the bilingualism of The distinctiveness of the English education system, the its students. A common theme is the determination to suit danger of losing the system, and the need to preserve it are education to the students’ needs. With ongoing budgetary