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Contact: Mercedes Deutscher, News Editor
Minews@theotherpress.ca

BC introduces new teaching
curriculum for public schools

» New curriculum set to be introduced this school year

Davie Wong
Columnist

t’s only September, but

big changes are already
happening within the BC
education system. Earlier in
the month, Education Minister
Mike Bernier announced during
a press release that the BC
government will be kicking
offa new curriculum with a
three-year transition. The new
program is optional for this
year but is expected to be fully
integrated for Grades K-9 by
September 2016, with a draft for
Grades 10-12 expected to pass
shortly after.

The reason behind the
curriculum change is explained
by the minister to Global:
“Today’s students need the right
skills to succeed in tomorrow’s
world.” The new curriculum will
continue to enforce learning
basics such as reading, writing,
and basic arithmetic, but will
focus more on collaboration,

: communication skills, and
: critical thinking skills. The
: minister cited the need to better !
: prepare students for college,
: university, and the workforce
: as the main reason behind

: the decisions made with the

: curriculum change.

The curriculum, which is

: assumed to have more relaxed

: standards, is said to be designed
: to allow students to learn

: about the core subjects while

: doing projects and integrating

: their own interests into their

: learning.

The new curriculum also

: includes a renewed emphasis

: on environmental sciences.

: In a generation where the

: world is beginning to see the

: environmental outcome of years
: of wasting, it is imperative that

: the younger generation learn

? more about conserving the world :
: we live in. The new science :
: section of the curriculum

: also focuses on integrating

: Aboriginal connections and

: cultural perspectives. The goal

: is to provide students with a
: respect for the natural world.

As another, broader feature,

: the new curriculum aims to

: better integrate Aboriginal

: perspectives and culture in

: all grade school levels. This

: includes teaching the history
: and legacy of the residential

: school system. The new :
: curriculum also aims to add new :
: content regarding the historical
: experience of East and South

: Asian immigrants and their

: journey over to Canada.

The changes are a stark

: contrast to 2014. At this time

: last year, public school teachers
: were in a five-week strike

: against the government which

: ultimately ended with both sides :
: agreeing on a six-year contract.

Bernier continued his talks

: of the future in a comment to

Global by assuring parents:

: “This is an opportunity for us
: as a province to make sure,

: no matter how, your child [...]
: is going to get the skills to be
: successful in the future.”

(Y BC introduces new teaching curriculum for public schools

(¥ Star power, the elderly, and the economy

(¥Y New campaign aims to better educate

students on consent laws

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Jim Iker, president of the BC :
: Teachers’ Federation, confirmed
: with member of the media

: that teachers were included in

: all aspects of the curriculum

: development, and they are

: supportive of the changes. He

: did stress, however, that some

> teachers are concerned with the
: additional costs in funding that
: the new curriculum is bound to
: bring.

  

Image via Thinkstock

To this, Bernier reassured

: all teachers that curriculum

: has been long in the works and

: has been worked on by more

: than 100 teachers and education
: experts to ensure the creation of
: a flexible learning curriculum.

: He also confirmed that regular

: report cards with letter grades

: assessing students will remain

: an integral part of the new

: curriculum.

 

Voting initiatives and field schools

» Happenings from Douglas College

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca

#ImVoting
he Canadian Federation of
Students (CFS) launched a
campaign at Douglas College on
September 15 that will encour-
age young adults to register to
vote in the October 19 federal

election. This campaign, accom- : field schools that are seeking

: students who would like to
: study abroad for a condensed
: semester.

panied by a hashtag of the same
name, goes by #IlmVoting.

The goals of the campaign
are to both empower the youth
vote, as well as to break the
stigma that young adults do not
vote and do not make an impact
in the political environment.

This campaign will be tak-
ing place until the election date,
and will be involved at several
BC post-secondary campuses,
including Vancouver Communi-
ty College and Emily Carr.

The CFS hopes that #Im-
Voting will ultimately receive
ten thousand or more pledges

: from post-secondary students
: to go and vote, which students
: can do at ThisTimeWeDecide.ca. :
: The CFS is encouraging young

: voters to share their stories and
: reasons they're voting on social
: media using the hashtags #Im-
: Voting, #elxn24, and #cfsbc.

Field schools
There are two returning

In Winter 2016, the Philip-

pines Field School will begin,

: where students can earn nine

: third-year business credits with
: no prerequisites required. The

: three courses in the program

: will have students taking four

: weeks of classes in January,

: before departing for Manila at

: the end of the month. Students
: will take another three weeks of
: classes in the Philippines, and

: may choose to either travel af-

* ter or return home. The overall

: program costs are an estimated
: $2400, and applications are

open until November 13.
The information session

: for this field school has already
: passed, but those who are inter-
: ested may contact Eugene Dy or
: Anish Bania from the Faculty of
: Business.

The Wales Field School

: will be returning for Summer

: 2016, where students can earn

: nine first-year credits in Crim-

: inology, Creative Writing, and

: English. The first four weeks

: of classes will be held at Doug-
: las College during May before

: students travel to Wales to

: complete their classes over the

: remaining three weeks. The

: program costs $4000, and ap-

: plications are open until March
: 4, 2016. There will be upcoming
: information sessions, one at the
: New Westminster Campus on

: September 23 at 3 p.m. in Room
: 2203, as well as one at the David
: Lam Campus on September 25

* at 3 p.m. in Room B2ogo.

  

Photograph by Mercedes Deutscher