EQAO testing doesn’t improve education

Re: The lost decade: Census reflects 2005-15 hardship — Sept. 14

Based on interviews with local business leader Murray Gamble, Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky and University of Waterloo economist Larry Smith, The Record reported that “the way forward is more education, economic promoters agree: better-educated children, better-educated adults, and a commitment to lifelong learning and retraining” and that to have a future our children will all need a “decent” level of education. As a retired teacher I agree; it’s a good plan. Smith sees a cultural challenge in persuading more local families to prize education. “How do you get 10,000 parents to approach education differently?” he said. After 30 years in the business I say amen to this statement in particular. Here is the real and most important reason that students don’t do really well on EQAO scores in this area.

I should admit that I have always felt these tests were a complete waste of class and educator time and money. Or as we used to say, “Weighing the pig won’t make it grow!”

The latest EQAO mathematics scores for the two local school boards will be released in the near future. It is unlikely, for a variety of reasons, including parental involvement (or lack of it) and the growing use of electronic games by young children, that these scores are going to meet with the unrealistic hopes of The Record.

I hope that staff at that The Record will re-read the story about the reasons behind the stalled income several times before they pillory local educators again. In that story, you have already published the real reasons why math scores are getting worse, not better, today. More teacher-bashing won’t help. Mary Cunningham, B.Ed. Kitchener