The
Coalition in the News & Other Relevant Articles
PRESS RELEASE - Council of Ministers of Education,
Canada (CMEC) Toronto, February 26, 2008
Ministers of Education Initiate National Dialogue
Ministers of Education from across Canada met in Toronto
and agreed to new initiatives to promote and enhance their
key priorities: Aboriginal education, literacy, and postsecondary
education capacity.
Aboriginal Education
Ministers believe that eliminating the education gap between
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples is an economic and moral
necessity. To that end, ministers will host a summit in 2009
on improving Aboriginal achievement rates. “We are committed
to ensuring that all people have access to quality education.
In a global economy, we need every Canadian achieving his
or her full potential,” stated the Honourable Kelly
Lamrock, Chair of CMEC, and Minister of Education for New
Brunswick. The event will bring together Aboriginal education
stakeholders to explore ways of improving the educational
success of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, including First
Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Ministers are committed
to partnering with Aboriginal peoples to support their life-long
learning. Ministers met with Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of
the Assembly of First Nations, David Chartrand, President
of the Manitoba Métis Federation and Vice-President
of the Métis National Council and the Honourable Lloyd
Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University
of Winnipeg to discuss the recent Aboriginal University Education
Roundtable.
Literacy – More Than Words
Ministers declare that every Canadian must have the
opportunity to acquire the highest quality literacy
skills to sustain them throughout life. Ministers furthered
plans for Literacy – More Than Words, a national
forum on improving Canada’s literacy rates. The
forum will be held simultaneously in cities across Canada
on April 14-15, 2008, and will take advantage of the
latest technology to create a virtual community, where
all participants will be able to listen to and interact
with keynote speakers in real time. A first for Canada,
the Forum’s unique structure and format will ensure
that literacy becomes a national conversation. A number
of high profile Canadians, including the Right Honourable
Adrienne Clarkson and the Honourable Frank McKenna,
will be speaking at the event.
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Postsecondary Education Capacity
Ministers recognize the importance of postsecondary education
in creating the highly skilled workforce needed for a vigorous,
competitive knowledge-based economy. “It is essential
for our economic well-being that we create more opportunities
for Canadians to attend our postsecondary institutions”
said Minister Lamrock. Ministers recognize that the respective
responsibilities and interests of provinces, territories,
and the federal government converge in this area. They will
continue to urge the federal government to increase its financial
contribution to postsecondary education through fiscal transfer
as stated by the premiers at the 2005 meeting of the Council
of the Federation. Ministers agreed to develop a data and
information strategy to further define the gaps between the
skills Canadians will need in the future and the capacity
of the postsecondary education system to deliver them.
Ministers call on the federal government to continue and
enhance financial assistance for students.
Ministers will hold their next meeting in Fredericton, New
Brunswick in fall 2008.
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers
responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education
from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers
share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual
interest and concern.
Link
to CMEC Website
On Monday October 22nd 2007, National School Library
Day, David
Cubberley, the NDP-MLA for Sannich South made
a statement in the Legislature (afternoon sitting) about School
Libraries and Teacher-Librarians. The text transcript for
David's statement is available at the BC
Legislative Assembly Website. There is also a written
statement regarding school libraries by David Cubberley
on the NDP website.
"School libraries suffer in a society
that says it values reading" by Stephen Hume, Vancouver
Sun, October 6, 2004
"Government's commitment to literacy
in B.C." Letter by Tom Christensen, Minister of Education,
Vancouver Sun, October 8, 2004
"Quality school libraries remain a crucial
tool for literacy" by Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun,
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
"Form versus Function: Improving
British Columbia's School Libraries" by Donald Hamilton,
BCSTA Education Leadership, November 18, 2004 p.4 It is also
in available as Nov-04.pdf
file.
Recommended
reading on the impact of school libraries and teacher-librarians
on student achievement and information literacy
The Crisis in Canada's School Libraries: the Case for Reform
and
Re-Investment by Dr. Ken Haycock
This document , commissioned by the Association of Canadian
Publishers and Canada Heritage in 2003 has received wide attention.
The full text is online (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) at
http://bccsl.ca/HaycockReport.pdf
The Executive Summary of that document is available through
this link.
School Library Impact Studies
http://www.lrs.org/impact.php
School Library Research & Statistics
http://www.lrs.org/school.php
Research and Statistics About Libraries
http://www.lrs.org/index.php
Statistics About Teacher-Librarians
Ratio of Teacher Librarians per
Number of Students in Vancouver Elementary Schools
(Appeared in the Vancouver Courier - March 6th, 2005)
School Libraries and Student Achievement in Ontario
A Canadian study by Queen's University and People for Education
-- the first of its kind -- clearly establishes the link between
school libraries and student achievement. The study found that
students in Grades 3 and 6 from schools with good school library
programs (those well staffed with teacher-librarians) were more
likely to achieve better results on standardized tests. As well,
those students were more likely to enjoy reading. These findings
were reported in the Toronto Star on April 7 in an article called
"Better Grades? Thank a Librarian."
The complete study can be found through the links at http://www.accessola.com/osla
Capitalizing on the School Library ís Potential
to Positively Affect Student Achievement. From the
2002 White House Conference
http://www.unocoe.unomaha.edu/ghartzell/library/Capitalizing.htm
Who
Turned Out the Lights in the School Library?
by the BC Coalition for School Libraries (March, 2005)
Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library
Programs in Canada. Canadian School Library Association
& Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada. Ottawa:
Canadian Library Association, 2003. [Copies are available
@ $24.95 from CLA,
328 Frank Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0X8 (613) 232-9625 (x 310),
orders@cla.ca ]
These are the "standards" for school library service in Canada.
Produced by the two major school library organizations, they
provide a succinct outline for the creation of quality school
library programs in every school in Canada.
UNESCO/IFLA
School Library Manifesto 1999
The school library provides information and ideas that are
fundamental to functioning successfully in today’s information
and knowledge-based society. The school library equips students
with life-long learning skills and develops the imagination,
enabling them to live as responsible citizens.
Impact of School libraries on Student Achievement:
A Review of the Research, March 2003.
Available online from the Australian School Library Association
at www.asla.org.au/research
An excellent summary of recent research on the impact of the
school library and teacher-librarians on student achievement.
