ANOTHER VIEW ON EARLY EDUCATION

Isn’t it a parent’s responsibility to ensure their children have a good working knowledge of reading, writing and math in grades 1 to 3 before they move on to Grade 4?

But the past (student outcomes since 1990) is past. What’s important now is that new students receive a better education when they enter the school system.

Unfortunately, this is not what the teachers, principals, school boards and politicians are arguing about with regards to the findings and recommendations of a study on provincial education systems. This study ranked Nova Scotia last.

In Nova Scotia, the very confusing public discussions by our educators seem to be about what they do in their jobs as opposed to what our children learn in the early grades and what level of competence is required for students to be promoted in subsequent grades.

Nova Scotia’s school system ranks poorly, in my opinion, because their parents have ignored what their children have learned or are learning in grades 1 through 7 each year.

I believe we have to upgrade, which means starting over with a completely revised grades 1 through 3 curriculum and then revised grades 4-7 and each year through 12 for new parents and their children.

This includes educating parents in Nova Scotia when their children are entering school because family education is as important as what the children will receive in the classroom in their early school years.

Jim Peers

Sydney