Vancouver School Board phases out honours programs in high schools
Vancouver School Board cuts honours courses in math and science in high schools, say they do not comply with goal of equity and inclusion
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The Vancouver School Board is cutting honours courses in math and science in its high schools because the school district says they do not comply with the equity and inclusion goal of ensuring that all students can participate in every aspect of the curriculum.
The school board says teachers will instead be encouraged to teach to individual students’ capabilities, including those who excel at math and science. (Honours courses in English were phased out over several years.)
But parents of gifted students say their children will lose the opportunity to dive deeper into maths and sciences without being ostracized in regular classrooms because of their abilities.
Parents were told of the decision in mid-May, months after students had chosen where they would attend high school.
“I find it very interesting that the VSB is using exclusion as the reason for taking away these classes because they were, in fact, the places where I felt the safest,” said Natasha Broemling, whose daughter gave up spots in other schools in order to attend Eric Hamber Secondary School – in part because of the opportunity to enroll in honours courses. Ms. Broemling attended the program herself when she was in high school.
She and other parents of Grade 8 students said they were shocked to learn of the change and worry that their children will struggle to fit in.
“Because people aren’t hurting you in those classes, because you’re not different intellectually,” she said, gifted students often thrive in honours classes, whereas students who do well in one specific subject often get teased in regular classrooms.
“There’s a lot of ways that people are excluded in school. Not all of it is based upon race, socio-economics, gender, disability. Some of it is based on other things,” Ms. Broemling said.
The Vancouver board and others in the province have changed the curriculum significantly since it was introduced in 2015, including getting rid of letter grades. Pedagogical experts maintain the new curriculum is aimed at better ensuring students understand their subject material rather than achieving a certain grade.
And the Vancouver School Board said in a statement that the new curriculum mandates “an inclusive model of education,” so “all students will be able to participate in the curriculum fulsomely.”
But parents worry that cuts to programs such as honours courses force students into one-size-fits-all classrooms, and one education professor says eliminating this outlet for gifted children could see them struggle to meet their potential.
Only two Vancouver high schools offered the honours courses: Hamber and Magee Secondary School. Parents said Hamber included the courses in its online materials for the coming school year, but the district said the course planning guide is not a guarantee of what will be offered. Parents whose children chose Hamber and gave up other opportunities want the courses reinstated – at least for those in Grade 8 who believed that was the high-school program they would be attending next year.
Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside was not available for an interview on the matter. Her spokesman, Scott McKenzie, issued a statement saying the curriculum’s goal is to ensure all students have access to enriched opportunities.
“Challenge or advanced placement options may only be available to a limited number of students, or in specific locations. Because of this, not all students will have an equal opportunity to enroll in these courses,” the statement reads.
The district said gifted students would not miss out on opportunities because a change to the semester system means students who want to accelerate their learning can complete their own grade-level work in a subject and then work ahead into a higher grade level – provided there are spaces to accommodate new students.
The district also said students who are interested in extra challenges can apply to a mini-school. There are 18 schools in the district that offer such schools within a school, allowing students to specialize in programs ranging from academics to the arts to hockey to leadership. According to the district’s website, 1,400 students apply for 500 spaces each year. The students are chosen after an application process that can include an interview.
