Bullying, violence, schools and society
The transformation of the ethnic composition
in Canadian society is ongoing. Our schools are changing and our classrooms are
international. Educators, teachers, and
parents need to come to terms with the diverse nature of our education system.
Canadian society is multicultural and the education system should prepare our
citizens to cope with the national and global realities.
Reasons why ASSIMILATION is important
·
All humans are members of a single species, there are no
biologically meaningful subspecies within it.
The concept of races, are social constructs corresponding to no
biological reality.
·
Differences between human populations are entirely the
product of the social environment.
·
Racism in all cultures and ethnocentrism are irrational with
dysfunctional attitudes, to which certain rigid, authoritarian types of
personality are especially prone. Such attitudes must be challenged by
promoting equal status between groups.
Racial
inequality and sexual politics in Canada dates back to the original contact
between the European colonizers and the Natives who were the first people in
the country. The Europeans quickly established their political and economic
dominance and the Natives soon came under the direct control of the European
colonial powers. The British and the
French emerged as the dominant national groups, while the natives were pushed
onto the reserves and subjected to discrimination while being denied access to
economic and political power.
By
controlling immigration policies, both the English and French consolidated
their cultural and institutional dominance. They determined which groups would
be allowed entry, where they would settle, what jobs should be allocated, and
which languages should be spoken. English
Canadians offered preferred status to immigrants from Britain and Northern and
Western Europe, who were culturally and socially similar, while the less
preferred ethnic groups, mostly from southern Europe, Asia, and Central
America, took low occupational and social roles.
Until
1962, the Canadian Immigration Act openly discriminated against non-white
immigrants. In 1967, changes in immigration laws altered composition, resulting
in a multiracial society, but the stratification system has not been significantly
changed. Despite a reduction in ethnic inequality, immigrants from warmer
climates continue to exhibit lower socioeconomic status.
The
school system plays a pivotal role in addressing the issue of youth violence
& bullying, because of the potential for reaching a large number of
children. Teachers are ideally
positioned to identify children who have social, emotional, behavioural, and
academic problems that may require special assistance. Much can be done within
the school system to reduce aggressive and violent behaviour among children and
youth and to increase and promote pro-social responses to conflict.
School
based violence does not manifest itself in the same form and to the same degree
in all school districts. As a result, these differences will necessitate
developing policies that are individualized to the needs of the particular
school board.
Considerations
when designing a prevention school-based violence policy
(a) A school board’s violence
prevention policy should be internally consistent; the various statements,
procedures, and provisions should relate to each other to form a unified
document. For example, if a school board has an elaborately detailed policy
concerning weapons, e.g., defining what constitutes a weapon, outlining the
consequences for an infraction, and so forth. There should also be a policy
concerning less sever behaviours such as intimidation/bullying/threats,
harassment, and fighting. Policies
should build up from the less to the more serious behaviours, otherwise, the
policy as a whole appears disjointed.
(b) In addition to being
internally consistent, policies should be congruent with programs. For example,
if a conflict resolution program is implemented within a board’s schools, this
preventative approach to dealing with school violence and promoting social
skills should be reflected within the board’s policy documents.
(c) Policies should be
comprehensive in order to address the various aspects of school-based violence.
For example, programs could be targeted toward ;
-
The school “community” and student body as a whole (e.g.,
conflict resolution, curriculum-based programs, promoting a positive school
climate and academic excellence.
-
Teachers (e.g. staff development)
-
Identified students (counselling and support services, social
skills training, alternative –to-suspension programs)
-
Victims of violence
(e.g. aftermath services, protocols for responding to emergency
situations)
-
The community outside the school (e.g. police liaison
programs, involvement of community groups in the development of violence
prevention policy).
-
Board policies should have a community focus. The causes of
youth violence are many and often lie outside the purview of the school system.
Partnerships between schools and community groups must be developed for
concerted, sustained, and comprehensive violence prevention efforts to occur.
-
School boards should have supplemental programs for students
who are disruptive, aggressive, and violent. These programs should be
supportive and corrective rather than punitive, demoralizing, and
inflexible. There will always be a group
of students who require specialized services such as social skills,
self-control, anger management training, and individual counselling and
therapy. Placing students in special education and behaviour classrooms is
often not sufficient to address the range of needs for some students or for
students with disruptive behaviour be placed in a regular classroom setting. As
well, programs targeted to the entire school community may not be effective
with a growing population.
Supplemental programs may be provided either
internally, using the school board’s own resources, or through the services of
a community-based social services agency that specializes in dealing with difficult
children and youth. E.g. Provincial
mental health programs, non-profit societies, etc.
Why you should nominate and vote for me for Vancouver School Board Trustee
On Saturday November 15, 2014, Vancouver
will be voting for Mayor, city counsellors and School trustees. The difficult question
is who are these people, and who should I vote for?
In politics the gap between promises and
delivery is one of the reasons there is so much cynicism. Opposition parties
draw as much attention as they can to a government’s shortcomings, while media
coverage may also focus on unfulfilled promises. In such situations people
become disenchanted and look for simple explanations.
The fact is, we need passionate people to
be elected in a position that requires not only knowledge, but vision,
creativity, and passion. That’s why I am seeking nomination and seeking your
support.
My priorities include;
1. Ensure all students
receive top quality education with high standards
2. Parents,
students, and community engagement
3.Financial
management and promotion of current social and commercial educational needs.
This will translate into business and employment opportunities for graduating
students.
School
Trustees and stewardship
Every sector of society is constantly in
the process of reform. Government reform and education reform, as well as all
other organizations, are always packaged in economic terms first. Although the real issues are far more
serious, our schools and other agencies are under financial scrutiny. All organizations
continue to search for the latest programs and ideas to reduce cost.
A
budget crisis usually means the organization is failing in its core purpose. As
a result, it is unable to serve its constituents or the society as a whole. And
if it is unable to serve its constituents, that means it has failed to serve
its own internal workings. The way organizations move forward (in this case a
school board), has to do with the definition of purpose or governance. Governance recognizes the political
nature of our environment, and hope for genuine organizational reform, resides
in how we each define purpose, and balance the budget.
It’s
not that some cultures are smarter but that some people are not given the
opportunity to learn.
Data spanning over 3000 years shows that
education can take many forms and serve many needs. Over time,
instruction of the young shifted from parents and skilled adults to
institutional settings such as royal courts and temples, each with its own standardized
body of knowledge. Schools with prescribed curricula and appointed teachers
were founded for various purposes to transmit knowledge and information, social
values, and useful technical skills. The purpose was also to socialize
individuals to particular roles.
In North America by the second half of the
19th century, the selective preparation of the elite members of
society had evolved into more inclusive systems of education.
One
of the most significant phenomena of the 20th century was the
dramatic expansion of public education systems (government-sponsored).
In the early 19th century
the education system in Canada, was much the same as it was in England; it was
provided through the efforts of religious and philanthropic organizations and
dominated by the Church of England. Although there was overlap among types of
schools, there are records of parish schools, charity schools, Sunday schools,
and monitored schools for the common people. The institutional method was a
rudimentary combination of religious instruction and literacy skills.
More advanced education was limited to the
upper social classes and was given in Latin grammar schools, or in private
schools with various curricular extensions on the classical base. Until about
1870 public systems of education emerged, accommodating religious interests in
a state framework. Public support was won for the common school, leading toward
universal elementary education. Secondary and higher education began to assume
a public character. Local responsibility and authority was elaborated in the
respective provinces.
The federal government has maintained and
supported the education of armed-forces personnel. Research and development in
higher education are promoted directly through grants from national research
councils for social sciences and humanities. Grants are also available for
natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and the arts.
In 2002 the Legislative Assembly of
British Columbia published a report from its Standing Committee on Education.
It outlined a vision for the renewal of education and the public consensus
about the importance of education to the economic prospects and social welfare
of both the individual learner and society. Many of the accounts emphasized
that learners should have an opportunity to accomplish their intellectual,
social, individual, and vocational development. It was also suggested that
emphasis should be given to preparing learners to meet the province’s human
resource needs and that there should be a closer link between work
opportunities and schooling, particularly at the secondary and post-secondary
levels.
This
shows the belief in the intrinsic worth of education, suggesting that it is
better to be well educated than to be poorly educated. Further, it reflected
societal beliefs that an educated individual has considerable social and
economic value for the self and thus for society.
Schools
in British Columbia
In
2014 according to “The Mandate of the British Columbia School System,” the
purpose is to enable learners to develop their individual potential and to
acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy
society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.
In the secondary schools it’s common to
have a two day rotation that consists of 4 courses per day. If students fail an
individual subject they still move on to the next grade level in subjects they
pass. Some courses are required in order to graduate both at the school level
and other courses require provincial exams in order to graduate.
The
curriculum and learning standards are mandated by the Ministry of Education.
The key principles include the following:
(a) Learning
involves the active participation of the individual student.
(b) Learning takes place in
a variety of ways and at different rates.
(c) Learning
is both an individual and group process.
Looking
at the BC School System Values and Beliefs
- Learning
takes place in different ways and at different rates
- Learning
is both an individual and social process
- Everyone
can learn - and learn together
- Play
is an important way to learn
- Group
work is an integral part of school work
- The
amount of homework learners are given depends on their ages
- Oral
language development is an important part of learning
- Students
usually move through elementary school with children who are the same age
- Learning
how to learn and how to gain access information are considered critical skills
- Letter
grades are based on much more than test results
- No
letter grades are given
- The
focus is on developing social skills and basic concepts
- No
letter grades are given
- Learning
is theme based
- Literacy
skills are developed using many books rather than specific textbooks
- The
focus is on building oral language, vocabulary and on developing reading and
writing skills
- Usually
one teacher for all subject areas
- Development
is focused on five areas: intellectual, physical, social, artistic, and
emotional
- Letter
grades are usually given
- There
is often more than one teacher
- Students
begin to use textbooks, as well as other sources of information
- More
of a focus on reading and writing skills
- Oral
language and group work
- Students
given more responsibility for their own learning and conduct
- Students
may have 8 subjects and 8 teachers
- Given
greater responsibility for self-sufficiency and responsibility
Education
may be defined as the process of training and developing the knowledge,
skill, mind and character, by formal training.
In general it is a form of learning in
which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred
from one generation to the next through teaching, training, and research.
A right to education has not been recognized by all governments.
Although, at the global level, Article 13 of the United Nations’1966
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the
right of everyone to an education.
Scholars and Universities
In the fifth century,
barbarian invasions and unpredictable climate changes swept away much of the
culture of antiquity. Books and the written word held little interest for
fighting men hungry for land, bent on pillage and instant gratification. Only the
monasteries preserved the writings of the saints and a few Greek and Latin
manuscripts that had been rescued from destruction. The monks copied the texts
in elegant manuscripts, destined for the treasuries of the churches rather than
for general reading. Books were precious, in the same way a silver plate or
golden chalice were. Nevertheless, under Charlemagne’s rule, 768 AD – 814,
written culture was revived. The empire
needed men who could read and write legal texts. But it only affected the elite
belonging to the palace.
It was not until the twelfth century that a new Western
culture began to take form. Population growth, expansion of trade, and the
building of towns stimulated the exchange and movement of ideas. Men of
learning, enriched by a knowledge of Greek and Arabic texts, rediscovered the
authors of antiquity. They absorbed the new thinking alongside the lessons of
the Bible and the teachings of the founding fathers of Christianity. Nurtured
by this new culture, the masters changed their behavior and attitudes.
In Paris, Oxford, Bologna, and all over Europe, universities
were created, linked to the growth of towns and cities. Unlike the monastery
schools, where the teaching was often rigid, they were true centers of
learning, attended by students from far and wide.
The Latin word universitas
means “guild,” and the masters, who were both teachers and scholars, banded
together to form guilds to protect their rights. They lived on the money their
students paid for lessons. Some were followed from town to town and were
regarded as true masters of thinking. Some universities were more highly
regarded than others and some became specialized.
Education often consisted of a study of texts and “disputes”
on their meaning, questions and interrogations on their hidden significance.
Seated on a dais, the master read aloud, commented, and gave answers. Opposite
him sat the students, who were often poor. They had no permanent home and they
went from town to town to get what education they could. Sometimes, to earn a
living, they worked as jugglers or clowns, begged or stole.
In the thirteenth century, as the universities became
organized, the wondering scholars became fewer in number and the bands of
lively witted travelers and vagabonds faded away. They were succeeded by
students who were better off or given financial assistance by charitable
institutions. One of the first such institutions was the college founded by
Robert de Sorbon 1253, in Paris, which was to grow into the Sorbonne, the
present day University of Paris.
Alongside oral lessons, the basis of teaching became the
written word. The authors of the syllabus had to be read by both masters and
students, and records were kept of the professors’ lectures. The book, once a
luxury item, became a manual, a tool. Paper-making processes improved, books
became smaller, abbreviations and a modern script came into use. Reeds were replaced by quill pens, which made
it possible to copy manuscripts more speedily.
The university consisted of four independent faculties and
prescribed a complicated examination system that regulated the allocation of
grades. The arts faculty taught a six
year course and granted a bachelor’s degree. The specialized faculties, law and
medicine, granted the students a doctor’s degree. Theology, which was regarded the most “noble”
discipline, demanded from 15 to 16 additional years of study.
A new form of study also developed alongside the teachings of
the Church.
During the intellectual renaissance of the twelfth century,
the Arabs served as intermediaries. Moslem schools and libraries were filled
with the works of ancient Greece. These manuscripts travelled from the East
through Italy and Spain to the West. Some original Arabic texts, Arabic
versions of Greek texts, and original Greek texts were translated with the help
of Spanish Christians who had lived under Moslem rule. Research, logic, and
science made enormous progress by contact with Euclid’s mathematical works,
Aristotle’s philosophy, and Hippocrates’ writings on medicine. In addition, the
Arabs made their own contribution, including the writing of modern numerals and
subjects such as algebra, agronomy (the science of crop production), and
alchemy. The Koran was also translated and amended by order of Pierre the
Venerable, Abbot of Cluny.
In Canada, the Association of Universities and Colleges, with
its presidents, held its first meeting in 1911. They gathered in Montreal to
discuss what questions should be raised, when they attend a meeting of the
Congress of Empire Universities held the following year in London.
In 1915, the presidents, with 26 representatives from 18
universities, met again to discuss common problems, which they had recognized
as a need for a national organization to exchange information. By 1917 the group
had become formalized and as named the National Conference of Canadian Universities. It is described as “the voice and conscience of Canada’s institutions of higher learning.” The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada was incorporated by the Canadian Parliament in 1965.
Through various organizational structures and names, the
association continues to provide leadership for higher education in Canada and
abroad.
In regards to the Canadian Aboriginal population, only 8
percent of the people aged 25 to 64 have a university degree while 23 percent
of non-aboriginals of the same age group have a university degree. Another
issue is more than one-third of Aboriginal people have not completed high
school, and federal funding to support Aboriginal students attending a
postsecondary institution has increased only two percent a year since 1996
while tuition has increased at an average of 4.4 percent a year since 1998.
Community engagement is a major
factor in education. According
to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, through
collaboration, universities and communities make each other stronger.
Community-engaged research tackles social challenges, improves healthcare and
solves environmental problems. University outreach activities address local
needs. And business partnerships fuel prosperity.
At the same time, a community’s
unique culture, economy and assets,help shape the research, curriculum and
service commitment of a university.
