“Sir, does that count? This question constantly comes up in the mouths of students, from elementary school to university, from Témiscamingue to Gaspé, as much in math and French classes as in physical education classes. A question that stems from an unhealthy-looking conditioning that has taken hold and is now part of the school culture. “If you don’t do your homework, you’ll get zero. “Today is the exam, so it’s time to force yourself.” “Write that down, because it will be on the exam.” Throughout their school career, students are constantly faced with a culture of performance, performance, a culture of the best in class, a culture of administrative sanction.
In contrast, however, there is a real culture of learning, one that gives room for error, which really values the complex process of learning. Many teachers firmly believe in it and make efforts to be inspired by it. They place their students in a context where it really matters to be seated in class, a real state of learning where everyone, regardless of their skill level, benefits from listening in class, benefits from mobilizing, because no matter what they are above or below average, they understand that what really matters is to improve… so as to become better than yourself. They have understood that learning really matters.
We can therefore ask ourselves this question: today, with all the challenges of the education system, what really matters? Every four years, the Superior Council of Education publishes a report on the state of the situation in our schools, from which derive recommendations that our education system may or may not implement, depending on the goodwill of political leaders. in place. But does this report really count? Every four years, it seems to be placed on a corner of the table, then, after it has accumulated a little dust, we put it on a shelf, out of sight, and we seem to forget it.
The most recent report, tabled in 2018, is entitled Evaluate to make it really matter. The report concludes that it is urgent to act in order to launch a reflective project on evaluation, a project which would allow all the players in the education system to combine their efforts to develop a new approach whose sole objective would promote the success of all students. Through a letter tabled last May, this same council reiterated to the government the urgency of acting, so that the reflection is initiated and that the site is finally set in motion. Since then, nothing has changed. However, in the school environment, we can feel the winds of change.
So we ask you again this question, Minister of Education: does education really matter? If so, you absolutely must take action so that we can look into the issue of evaluation together, get out of the silos of different ideologies that clash and contradict each other. To achieve this, we, parents, administrators, ministers, teachers, unions, researchers, must absolutely mobilize and team up, so that our beautiful youth, the force of the future, finally understands that, if we go to school , it’s to learn, and that really counts!