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B.C. curriculum overhaul to focus o
greal life' sitwations i
By CAMILL E BAINS The Canadian Press
Mon.) Sept. 3, 2018
VANCOUVER—Waking up for school won't be the only reality facing British
Columbia students entering their senior high school years as ongoing curriculum
changes aimed at connecting them to real-life decision making are further
implemented.
The Education Ministry says the curriculum overhaul, which was implemented for
kindergarten to Grade 9 students in 2016, is designed to allow for more critical
thinking, collaboration and communication in applying information learneI
• m to everyday situations.
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B.C. curriculum overhaul to focus on 'real life' situations I The Star
Education Minister Rob Fleming said modernizing the B.C. curriculum an
graduation program will help ensure students are armed with the
knowledge and skills they need to succeed whether they move on to
university or trades training. (PEOPLEIMAGES.COM / ISTOCK) I
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that incorporates knowledge from various subjects. The assessment can be
completed in any year between Grades 10 and 12.
The ministry provided a sample assessment that included a hypothetical news
on a graph, along with other information. Students would be required to answer 12
questions, including those based on how a family could save on its weekly water
Some questions are based on First Nations'former practice of living in circular
and dimensions of the top opening.
The provincial English exam will also be scrapped next year for students in Grade
12. Instead. students will complete a literacy assessment that is still being
developed.
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B.C. curriculum overhaul to focus on 'real life' situations I The Star
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were introduced1984 at the Grade 12 level.
"Many provinces are moving in the direction of competency -based curricula, with
B.C. one of the leaders in this area," the Education Ministry said in a statement.
they are not tied to a particular course, the ministry said, adding results will be tied
'Lo a four -point proficiency scale that will be recorded on students' transcripts.
Education Minister Rob Fleming said modernizing the curriculum and graduatio
proram will help ensure students are armed with the knowledge and
gskills they
need to succeed whether they move on to university or trades trag.
"The world is changing and it's our duty to make sure kids are ready to succeed in
that changing world," he said in a statement.
Peter Li1jedahl, a professor and associate dean of graduate studies in the faculty of
education at Simon Fraser University, said numeracy applies math in realistic
settings and includes planning and budgeting around costs, time and space.
For example, students would learn to interpret graphs containing information
about elections or estimate the time required for severaltasks, including driving to
a certain destination, and working backwards to determine what time an alarm
should be set to start the day.
"lt is absolutely real life. And it's about making sure you're able to utilize
mathematics," LiIjedahl said, adding students writing the numeracy assessment
would be using what they've learned in multiple subjects throughout their
education so individual teachers aren't responsible for it.
Teresa Harwood, whose son Jason Depka will be starting Grade 10 this week, sai
the new numeracy and literacy assessments would be a good fit for the "hands -61
guy" who may be headed for a career in the trades sector.
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"In general, I think that's a good thing," she said of the curriculum changes. "If
you're not on an academic stream then those types of real-life situations, I think,
are going to be helpful to students moving forward as they get into the work world,
even learning how to budget at home."
However, she said her older son,, Matt Depka, who graduated a year ago, benefited
from writing the provincial English exam in Grade 12 because it prepared him for
university.
But he was anxious about the results, which counted for 40 per cent of his overall
English mark, she said from her home in Nanaimo.
"Thinking about it coming up was extremely anxiety inducing, the thought of it
affecting his mark and therefore affecting his entrance to university," she said of
her son, who is on the autism spectrum and found it challenging to write an exam
containing texts he hadn't learned about in class.
Teri Mooring, first vice-presidentote B.C. Teachers Federation, said overall, the
union has been supportive of the curriculum changes though "we do have concerns
around timing and resources."
"Many of our members feel that they haven't been given enough support through
additional non- instructional days to learn about the changes and prepare for
them," she said in a statement.
"Our members need up-to-date learning resources to actually do the teaching," sh��.
said, adding students are using old textbooks.
Teachers also require access to local resources to help incorporate Indigenous
content into all subjects and materials to teach new courses including the sexual
health curriculum, Mooring said.
The ministry said it's in the process of identifying additional resources and
supports to help teachers.
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