Evidence shows that 'feel good' measurement methods for BC high school performance may make the teacher's work day easier, but they shortchange students. For instance, these methods often inflate grades, giving students a false sense of achievement and not preparing them for the rigors of higher education or the workforce. When the teacher union is in charge, the quality of education goes down. In BC, students are being cheated by the NDP educational philosophy.If BC high school graduates ever get accepted to a university, the first-year failure rate rises, the predicted emotional damage, disillusionment, and sense of personal failure can be devastating and life-changing. To be "woke," the NDP Department of Education has done no favours for BC students.BC's student “assessments” are vastly inferior to previous exams in measuring student accomplishment and school performance. The assessment regime is also vastly inferior to the previous provincial exams, which the government eliminated for high school students in the province.The changes began in 2015 when the BC government replaced the province's Grades 10 and 12 provincial high school exams — which affected final grades and were based on course content — with student “assessments” in numeracy and literacy. By de-emphasizing content knowledge, the new “assessments” are only a vague measure of a student’s progress and knowledge.While the previous exams contributed to students' grades and were meaningful to their school careers, the “assessments” are problematic. The absence of any real consequences for student grades calls into question the veracity of the claimed outcomes.The problem is outlined in a report by Paige MacPherson here.Graduation rates have increased even though participation rates for the assessments — which are supposed to be mandatory — have declined, MacPherson said. As a result of the questionable quality of the new assessments, the Fraser Institute will no longer publish the British Columbia Secondary Schools Report Card, which has been published since 1998.Parents, educators, and policymakers will no longer have access to the provincewide objective and comparative measure of high school performance in BC. "By degrading student testing, the BC government has done a great disservice to families across the province," MacPherson said.The underlying reason for the change is that the teachers' union has historically attempted to avoid competency performance measures. In the name of student sensitivity, their secret agenda has been to avoid teacher performance and accountability measures. The whole agenda was hotly debated in years past when the teacher union opposed the use of internationally standardized testing for all students.Learning to write tests is a fundamental skill of education. Life continually tests us. The 'feel good’, no-stress educational philosophy hurts students. Regular school exams and standardized testing that evaluate all students at the same level serve as necessary accountability tools for students, teachers, schools, governments, and taxpayers.Education is the second-largest line item in BC’s 2024/25 provincial budget. It is critical to ensure tax dollars are well spent. The most important outcome of K-12 education is student learning and achievement. The school experience must be more than social development and babysitting. The word ‘student’ implies study and intellectual development that can be recognized and measured.Standardized testing is imperfect, but it is the most fair and objective way to measure all students on a level playing field. Paired with additional subjective in-class assessments, standardized testing helps analyze the return on investment of education tax dollars.However, the British Columbia government dramatically changed provincewide student testing in high schools, so the province no longer produces quality student assessment data. The teacher's union's goal was that change.Teachers, school administrators, and policymakers have now lost quality data to guide school improvement. More data is needed for meaningful evaluation and comparative measurement.BC parents have lost a valuable tool in understanding how their child is performing. Moreover, a parent should understand where the drive to change came from to know who is being served; it certainly is not students.The old sad story has been repeated. Leftist myth-making produces mistaken beliefs. Then, wrong beliefs produce behaviors, policies, and actions that are harmful and which fail. That realization provides a deeper understanding of why the NDP must be replaced in BC on October 19th.
Evidence shows that 'feel good' measurement methods for BC high school performance may make the teacher's work day easier, but they shortchange students. For instance, these methods often inflate grades, giving students a false sense of achievement and not preparing them for the rigors of higher education or the workforce. When the teacher union is in charge, the quality of education goes down. In BC, students are being cheated by the NDP educational philosophy.If BC high school graduates ever get accepted to a university, the first-year failure rate rises, the predicted emotional damage, disillusionment, and sense of personal failure can be devastating and life-changing. To be "woke," the NDP Department of Education has done no favours for BC students.BC's student “assessments” are vastly inferior to previous exams in measuring student accomplishment and school performance. The assessment regime is also vastly inferior to the previous provincial exams, which the government eliminated for high school students in the province.The changes began in 2015 when the BC government replaced the province's Grades 10 and 12 provincial high school exams — which affected final grades and were based on course content — with student “assessments” in numeracy and literacy. By de-emphasizing content knowledge, the new “assessments” are only a vague measure of a student’s progress and knowledge.While the previous exams contributed to students' grades and were meaningful to their school careers, the “assessments” are problematic. The absence of any real consequences for student grades calls into question the veracity of the claimed outcomes.The problem is outlined in a report by Paige MacPherson here.Graduation rates have increased even though participation rates for the assessments — which are supposed to be mandatory — have declined, MacPherson said. As a result of the questionable quality of the new assessments, the Fraser Institute will no longer publish the British Columbia Secondary Schools Report Card, which has been published since 1998.Parents, educators, and policymakers will no longer have access to the provincewide objective and comparative measure of high school performance in BC. "By degrading student testing, the BC government has done a great disservice to families across the province," MacPherson said.The underlying reason for the change is that the teachers' union has historically attempted to avoid competency performance measures. In the name of student sensitivity, their secret agenda has been to avoid teacher performance and accountability measures. The whole agenda was hotly debated in years past when the teacher union opposed the use of internationally standardized testing for all students.Learning to write tests is a fundamental skill of education. Life continually tests us. The 'feel good’, no-stress educational philosophy hurts students. Regular school exams and standardized testing that evaluate all students at the same level serve as necessary accountability tools for students, teachers, schools, governments, and taxpayers.Education is the second-largest line item in BC’s 2024/25 provincial budget. It is critical to ensure tax dollars are well spent. The most important outcome of K-12 education is student learning and achievement. The school experience must be more than social development and babysitting. The word ‘student’ implies study and intellectual development that can be recognized and measured.Standardized testing is imperfect, but it is the most fair and objective way to measure all students on a level playing field. Paired with additional subjective in-class assessments, standardized testing helps analyze the return on investment of education tax dollars.However, the British Columbia government dramatically changed provincewide student testing in high schools, so the province no longer produces quality student assessment data. The teacher's union's goal was that change.Teachers, school administrators, and policymakers have now lost quality data to guide school improvement. More data is needed for meaningful evaluation and comparative measurement.BC parents have lost a valuable tool in understanding how their child is performing. Moreover, a parent should understand where the drive to change came from to know who is being served; it certainly is not students.The old sad story has been repeated. Leftist myth-making produces mistaken beliefs. Then, wrong beliefs produce behaviors, policies, and actions that are harmful and which fail. That realization provides a deeper understanding of why the NDP must be replaced in BC on October 19th.
