Cross Curricular Reflexive Writing #2
The second section of this semester was difficult. The amount of information requiring synthesis was immense. Every topic connected to everything else. Curriculum and the structure of education in Canada were two major ideas we began to unpack. Simple ideas at first as they pertained to Canadian history, and slowing gaining more complexity as we reached farther into curriculum to see how it was effected through the development of the structure of education and Canadas entry into a globalized market. As I reflect on this process it becomes evident that we can view curriculum and education structure from a macro and micro perspective. When we consider curriculum and the structure of Canadian education from a distance the more globalized the impact to curriculum and structure becomes. Then, when we focus in on history and move through time into the common era, we begin to see the underlying educational philosophies at work during the development of curriculum and design of educational systems provincially.
The foundations of curriculum in Canada began with the responsibility of the family and the church, then slowly shifted from an elite privilege and into Egerton Ryerson’s reports indicating curriculum was needed to assimilate immigrants (Robson, 2013). As the structure of education developed provincially, curriculum became a powerful political tool that many groups used to push reforms or promote their ideologies, religion, racial or economic goals (Robson, 2013). Simultaneously, Canada worked to avoid outside influence by first the Americans and eventually the British to achieve “Canadianization,” all while attempting to keep up with advances in technology and industry (Robson, 2013). It was upsetting that even though Canadian identity was at stake, we eventually began to shape and shift our focuses to align with those being developed in other places in the world. Collateral damage of a globalized world, and although necessary in retrospect for economic growth and competition, I feel like we lost nearly a century of our own cultural development and appreciation through outside influences and necessary evil.
In my opinion, it will take us that amount of time again to shift into what I believe should be a multi-intercultural society. Canada already having the strength of a multicultural system could benefit greatly as we research and discover more connections and strengths by using interculturalism to fill in gaps that multicultural philosophy falls short on. Namely, the dialogue between cultures, the expressions of cultural identity and unity that multiculturalism sometimes fails to address (Bai et al., 2015; Verkuyten et al., 2018). I believe this is accurate implication given multiculturalism was developed through reforms of a colonization paradigm which was not designed to support indigenous or immigrant populations but manipulated to give the impression of significant change. First assimilation, then adaptation, accommodation, incorporation, and integration (Robson, 2013). Furthermore, I think this reflects the challenges we are seeing today through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission movement and the Calls to Action from indigenous peoples. Consider also that the processes to achieve multiculturalism may work for immigrant populations not native to Canada, but eventually, in order to advance our country while keeping diversified values intact we will need to incorporate interculturalist perspectives to achieve virtuous dialogue, unity and identities of and between our population (Verkuyten et al., 2018). This holds even more significance as we approach a population of individuals with multiple cultural histories.
Summative assessments with the purpose to grade, rank, compare, or extrapolate the value of education students are receiving whether in the form of high-stakes exams, national assessments, or international assessments conflict directly with the purpose of education on many levels. From a globalized perspective, as a country competing for intellectual and technological superiority or equality, standardized testing makes sense to make comparisons and ensure an educated population is current with the rest of the world. However, summative standardized testing fails to account for the most important thing in the room, namely the learners, something that formative assessment accounts for easily (Dixson & Worrell, 2016; Kohn, 1999). I do not intend to draw a dichotomy between formative and summative assessments as each holds a significant place while investigating learning. I only draw attention to the shortcoming of summative assessments because it feels like another colonist construct used to classify and organize people with the intention of control and manipulation. Realistically, this sounds more insidious then it is probably is, but I feel this gets the point across considering we claim to be a multicultural country and yet many provinces still value the use of summative assessments like this to provide insight about their populations. Insight that as mentioned may hold value at a global scale, but nationally draws roots in systemic racism and perpetuates the use of hidden curriculum to influence youth. As Robson (2013) dissects further, there are many reasons why people advocate or critique large scale assessments. Although points on either side have merit, I believe the first step towards a unified intercultural Canada is recognizing the facts on all sides of an argument and withholding polarized opinions to enable constructive dialogue without sacrificing identity. This I believe is the importance of intercultural competence, anti-racist pedagogy, debunking the meritocracy myth and considering alternative ways of knowing and being (Bai et al., 2015; Robson, 2013; Verkuyten et al., 2018).
Moving past curriculum and into the simultaneous development of the structure of education in Canada. I would like first to note my surprise that public universities in Canada are considered non-profit corporations (Robson, 2013). I was under the impression that universities were an enterprise for profit that cost students a ridiculous sum of money to attend to which the government makes a considerable sum from student loans. Unfortunately, even though universities operation with no profit, post-secondary education still costs an unreasonable amount.
With regards to the structure of education in elementary and secondary schools, I was impressed to learn that each province has the ability to design their own curriculum while keeping these decisions open to influence from parents, students, teachers and elected officials (Robson, 2013). Of course as we learned from curriculum in Canada some bodies have advocated for certain inclusions and exclusions, but the decisions still rest with the people and reforms are quickly made given the seemingly fluid and small structure of the governing bodies.
I was aware that educational institutions across Canada were divided into different types, and aware that depending on the institutions type were allotted portions of government funding based on this and school population (Robson, 2013). Considering the diversity of Canada, I agree that multiple types of schools have the right to operate. Whether they are private schools, charter schools, alternative, public, or home schooling I believe parents and families should retain the right to choose the type of school their children attend. However, I do not think it is appropriate for any public school to compete with any other public school. Choice by school classification is enough, divisions by municipal region already promote segregation of the community, without the option to pick the “best” public school.
Aboriginal education in Canada is much more of a concern for me, especially given what I have learned about the Indian Act. I was pleased to hear that on-reserve schools were federally funded or organized and shocked to hear that this funding only concerns the primary and intermediate years after which students are required to travel great distances or move away from home in order to pursue secondary grades. Significantly, I was disgusted to read that, “[t]he obsolete language and the vague wording of the [Indian] act, however, mean that there is little framework from which First Nations education reformers have to improve educational policy” (Robson, 2013). Robson (2013) elaborates further indicating that some specialists have called for the creation of new laws to replace existing or out of date ones. I hope during my career as an educator I have the privilege and honor to contribute to the reformation of education in British Columbia to create a system that propels not only indigenous students, but immigrant and non-aboriginal students to the heights they will need to overcome a consistently competitive and globalized world.
References:
Bai, H., Eppert, C., Scott, C., Tait, C., Nguyen, T. (2015). Towards Intercultural Philosophy of
Education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 34(6), 635-649. doi:10.1007/s11217-014-9444-1
Dixson, D. D., Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom.
Theory Into Practice, 55: 153-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989
Kohn, A. (1999). From Degrading to De-Grading. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from
Robson, K. L. (2013). Sociology of Education in Canada. Pearson Canada Inc.
Verkuyten, M., Yogeeswaran, K., Mepham, K., Sprong, S. (2018). Interculturalism: A new
diversity ideology with interrelated components of dialogue, unity and identity
flexibility. European Journal of Social Psychology. 50: 505-519.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2628
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