Empowering Parents

The pandemic revealed to parents what many critics of our public education systems discovered more than two decades ago - that our education system, especially in the elementary schools, is out-of-sync with dramatic changes that have already occurred in our social, cultural and economic environments. The system has failed to maintain former standards of proficiency in the generic skills (e.g. math, literacy, science, analytic thinking), let alone to sufficiently address current and future needs for higher levels of individual learning achievement in the academic, vocational and occupational sectors. This book is for parents whose children will soon begin school and who want to know what lies ahead for them in the primary division. If, as a parent of a child in school, you want to know the 'essential learning' relevant to your child's school year, this book is for you. Parents are more motivated than ever to become actively involved in their child's schooling, to advocate for their child and partner with the teachers, and to ensure that their questions are answered and their concerns are heard and addressed by schools. This book explains what you should expect of the education system, schools and teachers, starting with the primary division (K to 3) when children build a crucial foundation for all later learning. This book aspires to empower parents to observe, raise questions, recognize their own power, and participate in the transformation of Canada's education system so that it connects with 21st century imperatives.