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Too many of our secondary students are failing

Many of you took me to task for not providing answers to the "why" of the problem. You wanted concrete answers of "how" our students can find success.

Let's first answer the question why. The Ontario education ministry inaugurated the new secondary curriculum four years ago.

Some students were introduced to the new program in Grade 7 and many sadly started their more rigorous studies in Grade 8.

I called the curriculum branch of the ministry and asked why not start the new courses in grade one. "Too long a period of time," was the answer. Many of our students became the guinea pigs; they were not prepared for the changes in Grade 9.

The high school levels were renamed. Advanced is now called Academic. How many kids want to admit that they are scholars? The General level was changed to Applied; if you were a tough kid which program would you opt for? Grade 8 students, at the ripe old age of 13, were streamed into their programs. Teachers perceptions, plays a huge role in course selections. In north London the majority of students take the Academic program; east of Adelaide and in Pond Mills more are in Applied.

I believe that with early intervention, proper preparation and a positive attitude the majority of students can be successful in the university/college stream.

The new curriculum is much harder, five years of education compressed into four. The rigorous math studies sent some of our 9ers to summer school. For many of our students it was the first time that they had experienced failure.

I counseled a student over the holidays who had failed math. The school advised her parents to switch to the applied program, her career testing profile showed a very high interest in nursing. But, community colleges no longer offer registered nursing; you have to have Academic Grade 12 math to receive a BSN degree (bachelor of science nursing).

The Thames Valley Board of Education has sadly insisted on keeping the semester system of time tabling for its high schools. Students take four courses for half the year and in January pick up four more.

London Central Collegiate and Medway are the only Thames Valley secondary schools on a two-day cycle. In those schools students take eight subjects over a two-day cycle for the whole year.

In a Canada-wide math test for 13 to 16-year-olds, students in full year courses did better than those in semester schools.

Children do not magically master a full year's course in five months. Mid-term exams occur two months into the semester. In January final reports are issued. Dare to compare the failure, drop-out rates between the semester and two-day high schools?

Registration and course changes takes place early in February in the semester schools. Check out the long line ups in front of student services to alter timetables because of course failures. The problems are worst this year with drastic cuts in student service departments plus the double cohort debacle.

Lorne Rachlis, director of the Avon Maitland Board of Education, has shown great leadership. He dared to question compare and innovate. High school students in Goderich, Stratford, Clinton, Exeter and Wingham are enjoying the advantage of the two-day cycle.

Eureka, it works. I spoke to Lorne and he was proud of the accomplishments of his teachers and students. Last year his grade nine Applied level math students placed first in the province. Twenty-six per cent of the Avon Maitland students scored at the 70th percentile or better, Double the provincial standard.

Shhh don't tell anyone. The Thames valley school board grade 9 results for Applied math in 2000-2001 was a "whopping" 18 per cent. Should we question, compare and ask why the discrepancy?