Manitoba Education Lowering Standards
MB Ed is reducing credit requirements for new teachers graduating from Bachelor of Education programs
…but does that really matter?
As reported by Darren Bernhardt at CBC News Manitoba, “Until the end of October, when the province made the changes, prospective teachers in the early and middle years streams needed to have six credit hours in each of the subjects of math, science, and languages (specifically, one of Canada’s official languages).”
These specific credits will no longer be mandatory for teachers to graduate with a Bachelor of Education degree in Manitoba, a province which has consistently scored the worst in math and reading on standardized tests in Canada.
The fact that standardized tests are primarily for political optics than an effective way to measure the experience and learning success of students aside, taking math courses in University is not the same thing as learning how to teach math to elementary or middle school students.
“There isn’t research supporting that having those three or six credit hours in an undergrad math course results in better teachers in mathematics. It, in fact, sometimes results in worse teachers in early and middle years mathematics,” Professor Martha Koch told CBC News.
Alright, the politicians and mathematics professors can argue back and forth about whether taking math courses is necessary for elementary and middle school teachers. I don’t actually care (right now), because we have much bigger concerns.
Whether or not teachers take mathematics in University is a complete and total red herring, designed to distract from the major and serious issues in our public education system.
The real issues
Due to teacher shortages, teachers frequently end up teaching subjects for which they are unprepared and unqualified (whether they want to or not). As anyone who has been reading my work for a while will know, I have no qualms about calling out teachers, administrators, or anyone else within the public education system when I feel it’s necessary.
In this case, however, the teachers and students are the victims of a horrendously mismanaged political portfolio.
Tracy Schmidt, acting Minister of Education, claims these changes to teaching requirements will “remove overly restrictive barriers,” and lead to more teachers being certified to work in the province.
Ah-ha! Therein lies the rub.
The province is having trouble recruiting and retaining teachers. Gee, I wonder why.
All teachers are:
Underprepared in their bachelor of education programs;
Under-resourced and under-supported in their jobs;
Under-paid and often not adequately respected for their professional expertise.
Many teachers are:
Trying to help students within a very broken, under-funded, under-resourced public education system, often in toxic work environments.
Instead of increasing salaries, resources, funding, continuing education opportunities, and general support for teachers, they’re merely going to flood the education system with even more inexperienced and underprepared teachers whom they’ll treat the exact same (or worse) until they burn out in approximately five years time.
Lather. Rise. Repeat.
