Is The Canadian Model Right For UK Schools?
Britain has fallen down the international education league tables of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Michael Gove has taken this as an opportunity to advocate his beliefs. Almost immediately after his inauguration, the Education Secretary praised Alberta, Canada’s educational system. Alberta’s education system often scores higher than any other English-speaking region in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) ranking. Gove asserted that the school system is better because schools in this region enjoy the autonomy that charter schools in the US have. This shift towards autonomy would involve giving the school heads’ more control, freeing them from local authority control and making parents the ultimate decision-makers on school choice. Gove cites Angus MacBeath, who achieved remarkable results by developing every school in Edmonton into a charter school. The idea was to foster competition between schools, which would drive improvement and enhance value for money.
After spending two weeks in Alberta, interviewing everyone from government officials and principals to teachers and parents, it becomes clear that Gove may be overestimating the results of Alberta’s educational system, selecting facts to fit his ideology. The Education Secretary also seems to be ignoring how the system there is based on the belief that local school boards are better suited for local needs than private enterprise. Unlike Gove’s proposal, this system does not seek to weaken or dismantle local authorities but improves the education of schools and allows public schools to cater to local needs. Although a similar curriculum and exam system are the same throughout the province, each school board believes in addressing the needs of each school within each district. The principals have the freedom to create a culture but remain within the remit of the district. Each principal is a team player, contracted to the district, and moves around schools based on the superintendent’s requirements.
It’s not entirely correct to assume that headteachers have absolute autonomy in Edmonton. For example, schools receive the same basic rate for hiring any teacher, regardless of their level of experience. This contrasts with the UK, where heads have to make cost-related decisions rather than educational needs-based decisions. Alberta’s educational system has been successful for the last three decades, starting when free-market advocates in the region’s government promoted the formation of private and charter schools. Alberta’s Provincial Government encourages the formation of specialized programs or schools, catering to the interests of each student. This is comparable to what parents want for their children, and it has resulted in a vast improvement in the region’s educational standards.
According to educationalists in Alberta, offering choice to parents and students creates a sense of commitment. During a visit to Pollard Meadows primary school, which provides both a mainstream and traditional learning approach, parents of both systems expressed satisfaction with their choice. Regardless of the program, whether it be language, faith, science, or the Cogito teaching method where young children learn in rows, all children in Alberta are educated using the same curriculum. The so-called non-academic child isn’t segregated; instead, additional programs accompany the core curriculum.
These ideas foster a diverse environment, as demonstrated by the 15-year-old who aspired to be a psychologist but opted for the hair and beauty program to make new friends. "It’s fun, I’m not very social, and this allows me to make new friends," she said. The principal, Jean Stiles, explained, "We want all our kids to be alongside one another in these options. It builds the culture of our school."
In Alberta, children aren’t placed in academic streams until they’re 16. When questioned about this, principals were stunned. "Why would you want to make a kid feel bad about itself at such a young age?", said John Beaton, the headteacher at Victoria Arts.
Although parental choice reinvigorated the state system, it also made the system more competitive, which is why Superintendent Edgar Schmidt is focusing on this issue. Edmonton principals now meet once a month to collaborate and form partnerships with other school leaders, regardless of how well-funded their schools are.
At the district level, the superintendent has a significant impact on the culture and priorities of the area, with only the best former principals filling the role. Potential deputy and assistant heads work as assistant superintendents at the district level to gain a broader perspective. Superintendents also attend their own training college.
The Edmonton system appears to be somewhat socialistic, but Michael Gove, the UK education secretary, didn’t identify these characteristics. According to MacBeath, it took thirty years to create a leading global education system, something politicians may overlook while looking for a quick solution. MacBeath was invited to the UK by Gove’s office to explain how they could replicate Alberta’s success, but he isn’t confident he’ll tell them what they want to hear. The only method to improve education in the UK is to disclose how poorly it’s performing and demonstrate where the poorest people are being excluded. Taxes are raised for everyone in the middle class, not just specific groups.
