Latest news with #educationReform
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Edmonton Public Schools cuts number of seclusion rooms, but confinement continues
Advocates demanding an end to the use of seclusion rooms say they're pleased the Edmonton public school division has decommissioned more than 60 of them in the last year. A new report to the school board last week shows the number of seclusion rooms has dropped by about 37 per cent during the last year, leaving 105 rooms operational in 56 public schools. "We're extremely pleased to see a reduction in the number of seclusion rooms and in the use of those rooms, because quite frankly, the trend over the last few years has been in the other direction," said Trish Bowman, the CEO of Inclusion Alberta. A seclusion room is an empty chamber that can be locked from the outside. Provincial standards dictate that school staff are only to use the rooms in an emergency, when a student presents a danger of harm to themselves or others. Staff are only supposed to put students in the rooms with parents' permission. Division employees have acknowledged that in a crisis, it does sometimes happen without parental consent. For years, Inclusion Alberta and some parents are among advocates for students with disabilities who say the rooms should be eliminated. Parent Rosemarie Jordan says she found out years after the fact that her son, who has multiple disabilities, was put into seclusion rooms, and school staff never informed her. The experience caused him trauma, distress, and affected his willingness to attend school, she said. "He just understood that this is something that adults shouldn't be doing to me," she said in an interview last week. She said her son, who is now in Grade 10, consistently asks to speak school division managers because he wants to tell them to stop the practice. Research suggests that when a school employee feels it necessary to put a student inside one of the rooms, the experience can also distress staff members and other students who witness the event, Bowman said. Use of the rooms became the focus of attention in 2018, when a Strathcona County family launched a lawsuit in response to their autistic child's troubling experience in a seclusion room. The then-NDP government promised to ban school seclusion rooms. After the United Conservative Party won the 2019 election, the government reversed that decision and instead introduced standards for the use of seclusion and restraint. Since then, Edmonton Public Schools has had a stated goal of phasing out the rooms. The division runs many programs for growing numbers of students diagnosed with autism, developmental disabilities or behavioural disorders. As it adapted more school spaces to accommodate these programs, it also built rooms that could be used for seclusion. Data obtained through freedom of information requests showed last year that Edmonton Public Schools had almost two-thirds of the total number of seclusion rooms reported to the provincial government. In the 2024-25 school year, staff in the division put 640 students into the rooms against their will 1,581 times, according to data from the division. Critics said that seemed to be an excessive number of emergency situations and questioned whether every incident warranted the use of seclusion. The numbers do not include incidents where trained staff physically restrain a student who poses a risk of harm. Board chair says goal remains zero rooms Four parents and an Inclusion Alberta representative addressed the school board last week, applauding the decommissioning of rooms and reduction in their use. Parent Sarah Doll called the trend "a ray of light in an otherwise dark year for families of disabled students." Division superintendent Darrel Robertson told the board meeting he is requiring certain staff to take mandatory training in non-violent crisis intervention techniques. A few schools are also piloting a different de-escalation program, which has been "highly impactful." Robertson said the division is working to scale up that training to more schools. "I don't want seclusion rooms in our division at all," he said. "We're working hard to continue to get better." However, the school division and board trustees are making changes to public reporting and meeting procedures that have sullied some advocates' satisfaction with the seclusion room reductions. After five years of producing a standalone report on seclusion room use for the school board, the division will now include the information in a broader annual performance document called the Annual Education Results Report. Trustees, who are elected officials, also decided earlier this month to change the rules about who may address the board at a public meeting. The board will no longer include public comments on its livestream of meetings. Speakers can only address issues on the board's agenda for that meeting date, and it is limiting the number of speakers on each topic to five per meeting. Bowman said the school division's public reporting on seclusion rooms had been instrumental in the push to reduce their numbers. "It's actually deeply troubling that they've taken a step away from this kind of public transparency and accountability," she said. School division spokesperson Kim Smith said trustees changed the meeting rules to align with other school boards, and make better use of meeting time. She said there are other ways the public can contact their trustees. School board chair Julie Kusiek told reporters she thinks the change will strengthen accountability, because the report requires the division to set a goal and outline a plan for achieving that target. "And we have our target for this, which is, we're moving towards zero seclusion rooms," Kusiek said. The division has yet to set a timeline to meet that goal.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New Hawaii law to provide free lunch for needy public school students
Thousands of public school students from low-income families will get free school lunches over the next two school years, while new rules also will go into effect designed to reduce cancellations of school bus routes that occurred in each of the past two school years. And statewide boys and girls surfing teams will be created, perhaps beginning next school year. The bills passed by the Legislature were signed into law Friday during a ceremony at the governor's mansion, Washington Place. Two other bills that Gov. Josh Green signed into law are designed to resolve differences in how locally produced food gets to public schools, youth campuses, public hospitals and prisons ; and another requires the University of Hawaii to charge resident tuition for anyone who graduated from a Hawaii high school and pursues an undergraduate degree at any UH campus. Friday's gathering included schoolchildren, teachers and advocates to help Hawaii students get to school, get fed and be better prepared to learn. First lady Jaime Green, who pushed for providing free lunches for needy children, grew emotional as she talked about Hawaii children who don't always know when their next meal will come. 'It is so important to make sure our kids are fed and don't go hungry, ' she said, choking up, as the crowd supported her with applause. During COVID-19, when schools were closed and the Department of Education turned to remote learning, DOE officials also had to figure out how to get meals out to children across the islands, sometimes in remote districts, who relied on reduced-price lunches. 'We saw the real need, and now, even that COVID is over, we are still struggling, our families are struggling, ' Green said. 'If students aren't hungry, they can better focus on their studies, extracurricular activities and personal growth.' So with Gov. Green's signature Friday on Senate Bill 1300, students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches will receive them for free beginning in the fall. And in the subsequent school year, schoolchildren from working, low-income families who earn below 300 % of the federal poverty level also will get free lunches. Significantly, schools are now prohibited from denying a meal to any student who cannot pay. State Rep. Justin Woodson (D, Kahului-Puunene ) chairs the House Education Committee and said legislators heard 'heart-wrenching stories ' of students who waited in the back of the lunch line only to have their food trays taken away. 'They were past embarrassment, ' Woodson said, and sometimes hung around rubbish cans looking for discarded food to eat. 'This should not be in the state of Hawaii, ' Woodson said. 'This reflects our values.' State Sen. Michelle Kidani (D, Mililani Town-Waipio Gentry-Royal Kunia ) chairs the Senate Education Committee and authored the bill providing free school lunches. She and her siblings struggled with food uncertainty as schoolchildren. Today, Kidani said, teachers in her district stock their desks with snacks for their students who are in similar financial situations, Kidani said. 'It's not just about food, ' she said. 'It's about equity.' No child, Kidani said, should sit in class wondering when they'll next eat. The bill appropriates more than $3.3 million to the Department of Education over the two school years to cover the cost of free meals for students of low-income families. 'That means all the families living paycheck to paycheck, ' Green said. House Bill 862 enshrines into state law emergency proclamations that Green issued at the start of the past two school years after the DOE abruptly canceled dozens of bus routes on multiple islands days before the start of the school year, disrupting commutes for hundreds of families. The DOE now has time before the next school year to find companies with vans and other nontraditional buses that can fill routes. The new law also requires DOE staff to accompany students between drop-off and pickup locations to ensure student safety. The DOE—like the rest of the nation—still faces a shortage of drivers with commercial driver's licenses. But combined, the changes are aimed at ensuring that students get to school, get fed and become better prepared to learn, Green and legislators said at Friday's bill signing. The event took on a far less serious tone before Green signed House Bill 133 into law providing $685, 870 for each of the next two fiscal years to establish interscholastic surfing. Out of Hawaii's five high school athletic leagues, only Maui has a surfing league, while individual high schools do have surf clubs. State schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that each league will have to figure out how to proceed, but he expects that some will create boys and girls teams during the next school year in a state that gave surfing to the world. Each athlete will need to get certified as a junior lifeguard, perhaps over this summer ahead of new teams and leagues, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu ) told the Star-Advertiser. In Hawaii, drownings among local children ages 1 to 15 represent the leading cause of death for their age group. The creation of surf leagues was pushed by advocates for water safety who argued they will encourage student surfers to learn how to better protect themselves in the ocean. The new funding for Hawaii surf leagues follows years of unsuccessful efforts, and Green could not readily offer an explanation. 'It's not exactly clear to me why it took us this long, ' he said. Quinlan, who represents the North Shore and pushed for the leagues, said the next world champion or Olympic surfing gold medalist could get their competitive start on a future Hawaii high school surf team. Or, Quinlan joked, it could inspire the next generation of 'mediocre surfers … because I am one of you.'
Free Malaysia Today
30-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Sarawak's education reforms: from vision to action
While in Sarawak this week to celebrate Hari Gawai, I would like to take a moment to commend the state government for its courageous and forward-looking approach to education reform. At a time when debates in Peninsular Malaysia continue to circle around whether or not to reform, Sarawak has charged ahead. It has asserted its autonomy and demonstrated clear resolve through a series of landmark educational policies that signal a deep and genuine commitment to uplifting its people. Embracing English Perhaps the most striking move has been Sarawak's decision to diverge from national policy by reinstating English as the primary medium of instruction in all its schools. This isn't just a linguistic shift—it's a strategic move toward global readiness. Proficiency in English remains critical for accessing knowledge in science, technology, and international arenas. By prioritising this, Sarawak is preparing its youth for global engagement, ensuring they are not left behind in an increasingly competitive world. Restoring academic benchmarks Sarawak has also reintroduced Standard 6 assessments, bucking the federal trend of abolishing them. This decision underscores the state's focus on academic benchmarking and early interventions. These exams provide a vital checkpoint to gauge students' preparedness for secondary education, allowing for targeted support where needed. It's a clear statement: excellence must be measurable, and progress must be tracked. Free tertiary education Most transformative of all, Sarawak has instituted free education for all Sarawakians—from primary school to technical colleges and universities. This sweeping policy removes financial barriers and opens doors for every child, regardless of background. It's a bold reminder that education is not a privilege for the few, but a fundamental right for all. A strong education system does far more than produce graduates. It nurtures thinkers, problem-solvers and future leaders. It cultivates resilience, vision, and a sense of civic responsibility—elements essential for building a robust and inclusive society. Blueprint for the future Sarawak's approach is more than a state policy—it's a reformed blueprint for how education can be harnessed as a catalyst for comprehensive development. Economically, a well-educated population forms the backbone of a skilled and innovative workforce. As the world revolves toward a knowledge economy, Sarawak's investment in human capital positions it to attract high-value industries, foster entrepreneurship, and move beyond reliance on traditional sectors like timber and oil palm. By shifting toward the digital economy, green technology, advanced manufacturing, aviation and logistics, Sarawak is staking a claim in the industries of the future. An educated workforce brings with it adaptability, innovation and the ability to command higher wages, ultimately lifting communities out of poverty and into prosperity. Social cohesion through education Education is equally powerful as a social force. It breaks cycles of underemployment and marginalisation. It fosters understanding across ethnic and cultural divides—a vital function in a diverse state like Sarawak. Educated citizens are better equipped to engage in meaningful discourse, to advocate for social justice, and to drive inclusive progress. In essence, education builds not just careers but character—and many a community. Healthy democracy Politically, an educated electorate is the bedrock of a functioning democracy. Informed citizens can hold leaders accountable, insist on accountability, transparency, and contribute to better governance. Sarawak's long-term vision is clear: to cultivate a generation of leaders who are capable, grounded and committed to the people they represent. Education, in this light, becomes the great equalizer. It levels the playing field and opens doors that once seemed sealed and shut. For Sarawak to thrive as a model of inclusive and sustainable development, education must remain central—not just as a policy priority, but as a guiding principle. The returns on this investment—economic, social, and political—are immeasurable. However, I do hope that progress in education does not erase or dissipate the cultural aspects, customs and heritage diversity of its populace. To all Sarawakians, I wish you Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai—a long life, wellness, and a bountiful Gawai. The author can be reached at: rosli@ The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Shorter summer holidays and longer half-term for pupils in Surrey
Would you prefer a longer October half-term in exchange for a shorter summer break? Schools in Surrey will be doing just that from the autumn of 2026 after a survey showed people were in favour of the new means that pupils and teachers will have a two week long half-term in October next year and their summer holiday will be shortened by five days. Overall there will still be the same number of school days in the year. Do you think this is a good idea? Would you like it at your school? Let us know in the comments. Why is Surrey council changing school holidays? Schools in Surrey were asked if they were in favour of a two week autumn half-term in a survey. 60% of schools said yes, 30% were against a new system and 10% were unsure. Clare Curran from Surrey County Council said the survey was in response to a wider discussion about term dates. She added that the decision was based on "the feedback received by the council from schools, school staff, and families regarding the challenges of differing term dates". Are other places changing their schools holidays too? Surrey isn't the only place in the UK reviewing the length of school holidays, with some areas like Suffolk and the Isle of Wight already implementing a two week October Welsh government looked at shortening their summer holidays too but has since shelved the plans after opposition to the idea. The discussion comes after a report from last year by the Nuffield Foundation suggested summer holidays should be cut down from six weeks to four and half, with terms made longer to improve the wellbeing of both teaching staff and pupils. That's something schools part of the Unity Schools Partnership in Suffolk found after introducing the longer autumn break. Pupil absences for illness after the holiday fell by 25% at 31 of its primary and secondary schools. What do you think? Would you give up a longer summer break in favour of a two week holiday in October? Let us know in the comments.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Push for school curriculum changes to improve First Nations history literacy
When Jegan Sivanesan's nieces began asking him about First Nation's history, he didn't know how to respond. "They would have NAIDOC week [at school], they'd have questions, not really being able to answer a lot of questions was confronting," he said. The first-generation immigrant from Sri Lanka grew up in the northern Victorian town of Mooroopna, but said his schooling barely scratched the surface of Australia's pre-colonial history. "What we did learn was about the First Fleet and a bit about the Stolen Generations but nothing that really went in depth, which was challenging," Mr Sivanesan said. Bombarded with questions from his son as well as his nieces, Mr Sivanesan decided to fill his gap in historical knowledge through further reading and attending the Yoorrook Justice Commission's public hearings. "It was an opportunity to talk about things that I've felt for a while, to be able to bring up that our education system needs to be really reformed so that our next generations can learn about these things," he said. Mr Sivanesan is not alone in his experience, with others raising the issue in submissions made to the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Yoorrook is the first Australian truth-telling process of its kind, led and designed by First Peoples, with the powers of a royal commission. The inquiry is piecing together Victoria's true history, by listening to the experiences of First Peoples through an inquiry focusing on injustices within health, education, country, criminal justice and child protection. Multiple witnesses have told Yoorrook that settlements were illegally established outside of the boundary set by the Crown, in areas across Victoria in the 1830s, including the Henty brothers' settlement of the area now known as Portland. It also heard from researchers involved in mapping the 49 known massacres in Victoria in which 1,045 Aboriginal people were killed. A report is due to be handed down in June and is expected to include recommendations to modify the school curriculum to include the inquiry's findings. Mr Sivenasan was one of dozens of Victorians who made a submission to the inquiry. As was Our Lady of Sion Sister Denise Cusack, who said she learnt almost nothing about First Nations history during her schooling, only becoming aware of it as an adult. "We would have known growing up that the Aboriginal people were here in this country but nowhere near the awareness of their sovereignty, what happened to them, what happened to the country," she said. "I realised much, much later on that there was a tangible grief in the country, that people carried, they weren't setting out to put all this on us. "But there's something in the country, I think, that carries that grief." Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was the first Australian leader of a state or territory government to appear before an Indigenous-led truth telling inquiry last month. Ms Allan said she was distressed and ashamed to learn of the brutality involved in massacres of Aboriginal people on Dja Dja Wurrung country, where she lives in Central Victoria. She said her government was committed to ensuring Yoorrook's findings on Victoria's full history was better taught at schools. "Growing up and living as I have all my life, in Central Victoria, on Dja Dja Wurrung country, I did not know about the massacres that occurred so close to home," Ms Allan said. "That was the area that was particularly concerning to me that I hadn't learnt of that, the depth and the extent of the brutality that went on as part of that. "What I see as the legacy of this part [Yoorrook] of the process is to be the writing of the fundamental truth of the history of our state, for that truth to be told in classrooms across the state." Yoorrook Chair Aunty Eleanor Bourke said in a speech at the Melbourne Press Club earlier this month that Yoorrook was expected to make more than 100 recommendations based on the evidence coming before the Commission. "These recommendations include significant reforms to broken systems, and a range of practical solutions to problems the government can implement now," she said. "Yoorrook also wants to see improvements to education, such as the way history and other subjects are taught in school. "This includes better teaching methods for First People's students and for all children to be educated as to the true history of the settlement of Victoria and its impacts on First Peoples." Professor Bourke said learning about the past from First Peoples' perspective would allow students to better understand how the past connects with the present. She said the history taught in schools was different to the history experienced by First Peoples and that the people behind the massacres and the removal of children from their families were remembered as founding fathers, pioneers and heroes. "They were cogs in the colonial machine, which was charging full steam ahead, leaving a wake of death and human devastation behind," Professor Bourke said. "Yoorrook's goal has never been to encourage shame or guilt. Instead, listen and learn, open your heart and your mind to our story. Last week, the Yoorrook Justice Commission began its Walk for Truth, inviting the public to join them throughout the journey from Portland on Gunditjmara country, where colonisation began, to Parliament House in Melbourne. The walk will mark the commission's report being handed down to Parliament. Victorian Year 10 student and Yorta Yorta Bundjalung Wiradjuri woman Gymea said throughout her 11 years of schooling, there were only two pages within a textbook that addressed Indigenous culture, condensing information about Captain Cook, protests, NAIDOC week and Australia Day into just a few classes. Gymea even approached her school's Vice Principal, who spoke with the Head of Humanities, who then contacted the publisher of the history textbook about the lack of First Nations history content. "I don't think that Aboriginal history is taught enough at school because there are so many other things to our history like we have different clans, different tribes, different languages … and people don't know that," she said. Gymea said she learnt about Aboriginal history through her family and many of her peers asked her directly about her culture. "There is more to what happened in our history, I feel like people are living too much in the past," she said. "They're living too much in the protesting of what happened to Indigenous people instead of embracing our culture more and putting it out there more." Deakin University NIKERI Institute lecturer and Dja Dja Wurrung man Aleryk Fricker said the Victorian school curriculum and the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history was inadequate. He said the commission's report would likely highlight the deficiencies present within curriculums across the country for decades. "It's often quite bitsy, it's inconsistent, and there's no real scope of sequence of engagement," Dr Fricker said. "One of the ways that we can address this is to support teachers to be able to deliver quality content better. "This involves professional learning and involves the provision of quality resources." For the curriculum to change Dr Fricker said recommendations would need to be passed through to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority which will liaise with the Department of Education before it's reviewed by the national curriculum body, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. He said the challenge in modifying the curriculum was that the content could not be standardised as First Nations history differed across Victoria. Dr Fricker said reform was needed across early childhood, primary and secondary education. "We need to recognise that Indigenous content goes across every single discipline area. Literacy was not invented when the Europeans arrived, nor was mathematics, nor was science, nor was geography. "These are all discipline areas that have had Indigenous knowledge as a part of them for millennia and these need to be featured centrally in all of these different discipline areas."
