Burnaby school board chair Larry Hayes has come out against the Fraser Institute's annual ranking of schools, calling the reports "drivel."
"Once again, without any apparent concern for comprehensive research, the public of B.C. has been subjected to the drivel of the ranking of schools by the unproductive minds at the Fraser Institute," Hayes said in his report at the May 8 school board meeting. "The 'apples to oranges' comparisons that are produced on an annual basis continue to overly simplify some very complex situations in our education system, and these rankings should continue to be treated as such."
The Fraser Institute, a right-wing think-tank, ranks B.C.'s public and private schools, mainly based on provincewide test results. Private schools usually dominate the top spots. In Burnaby, schools with high numbers of refugee students, like Byrne Creek Secondary and Edmonds Elementary, tend to fare poorly. This year, Byrne Creek scored the lowest for Burnaby, and Edmonds, which has ranked low in the past, didn't even make the rankings because there weren't enough students writing the exams, so the Fraser Institute couldn't include the school in the report.
Meanwhile, Byrne Creek Secondary recently received an international award - the ASCD Whole Child Award - for looking beyond academics and fostering students who are knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically active and prepared for the world beyond school.
Hayes criticized the Education Ministry for its "feeble" opposition to the Fraser Institute's rankings.
"How much insight does it take for our (Education) Ministry masterminds to realize that being told that you're 'dumb and stupid,' as is basically what's being said to some of the more challenged schools in the province on a yearly basis, would certainly affect the confidence and morale that is such an important part of productive learning," he said. "Thank goodness for weekly garbage day, because that's where the Fraser Institute's school rankings belong."
The Fraser Institute's Peter Cowley, author of the report, took issue with Hayes' comments.
"In an age when critical thinking skills are considered essential for any adult, perhaps some constructive discussion and debate would set a better example for the students to whom Mr. Hayes is ultimately responsible," Cowley wrote in an email to the NOW. "As the public school educated 'unproductive mind' responsible for the 'drivel' about which Mr. Hayes is so incensed, I would be pleased to meet with him to explain the actual intent and design of our report cards and to seriously discuss any constructive criticism he might have."
Cowley offered to debate Hayes publicly, "anytime, anywhere" about the report cards' benefits for students. "Let's all be thoughtful and respectful in our discussions of education improvement," he said.
