The proposal to return 13th graders to public high schools in Ontario is just one of many promises made before the provincial election next month, but it is one of the biggest.
Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca unveiled this key part of his educational platform on Friday, saying that by 12th grade, many students are simply “not ready for college or university,” especially those who have had to finish two years inconsistently. largely remote training during the blockade and as a result feel lagging behind.
We need policies that make sense in our education system – such as returning to 13th grade to help make up for lost time. Just ask the students. # TheChoiceIsYours #onpoli pic.twitter.com/xk0H57uHlZ
– Steven Del Duca (@StevenDelDuca) May 6, 2022
The 13th grade was standard in Ontario until the late 1980s, after which it was changed to the Ontario Academic Credits (OAC), which was then abolished in 2003.
Many residents seem to think that reducing the extra year is a huge mistake, forcing teenagers to make important decisions about their future at an early age.
Call Randy Thoms, who skillfully uses the Zoom press conference to ask students in the background if they would take optional grade 13 if it was available. (Many hands went up.)
– John Michael McGrath (@jm_mcgrath) May 6, 2022
The educational impact of the pandemic and the resulting closures have led Del Duca to implement the program as soon as possible.
“Choosing these children to attend 13th grade will ensure that they are ready to take the next big step in their lives,” he said in a statement.
Our son turned 18 while he was at Uni. I’m fine with the return of the 13th grade option …
– Ted Nesbit (@TedNesNA) May 6, 2022
Under the leadership of the Liberals, the fifth year of high school will be optional and will be fully funded by the government and will include classes on topics such as financial literacy, mental health and civic engagement.
I loved 13th grade. I would not be ready to go to university at 17. I would like my children to have the opportunity.
– Kelly Gill (@ kellykgill1971) May 6, 2022
While some believe that this concept is “nothing new”, as some students may and may now extend their careers in high school for a semester or two – also known as the Victory Tour – the lack of funding from the provinces means that school boards pay the price, and children are in many ways discouraged from choosing this route.
The current system also does not have a winning lap structure, unlike the Class 13 that Del Duca offers.
Although most of the reactions so far seem to support the idea, there are a few skeptics who wonder if the children will really want to attend and if it will simply cause further complications for the students.
Some also point out that virtually no other jurisdiction in North America (and none in Canada) offers the possibility of official class 13.
Grade 13 was an academic experience from the first year at the university without training. Getting rid of him was a mistake.
– Andrew Harris @ (@harrissound) May 6, 2022
The relocation will cost $ 295 million and will last four years, after which the government will consider whether it should be extended permanently, although the focus is again on children hampered by pandemic-era learning.
In the event of a Liberal victory, Del Duca says Grade 13 will be implemented as soon as possible, even potentially by September 2022, although he acknowledges that it would be a “difficult” time to achieve.
He also told the press today that other provinces could follow suit and “realize that this is the way to go”.
In addition to the plan to return voluntary class 13, the leader also plans to hire 10,000 new teachers, 5,000 new special education specialists and 1,000 mental health specialists in schools, and to introduce a strict class size limit of 20 and to create 200 new schools and repair more than 4,500 others.
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