Question 3 – Zone 6 Responses
Contents
The Question in brief
Responses from:
– Tanya Melissa Dasilva
– Chris Ellis
The Question in Brief
This question comes from Charlotte Dwyer and Ny Holmes, two Grade 11 Ottawa secondary school students who recently organized Nepean High School’s successful walkout against Ford’s changes to the curriculum.
Their Question
What steps are you going to take to ensure that students feel they are heard in regards to their involvement in THEIR curriculum?
Tanya Melissa Dasilva
To get a broad view of diverse students’ voices and opinions, I would obtain feedback through multiple channels such as:
- Hold in-person “town hall” style open meetings
- Use social media and mobile apps to gather input (i.e. Facebook Live, Twitter Live, Instagram, SnapChat, Discord and WhatsApp)
- Website with email, phone number, chatbox and online feedback form
- Ensure these methods are accessible and available in different languages so all students can fully participate
I respect personal privacy, so students may leave feedback with their details or anonymously.
Once all student feedback is received, it would be complied and presented to the concerned parties. An action plan and timeframe with deadlines would be included. A follow-up plan would also be initiated to ensure accountability and transparency.
In this context, student engagement and empowerment should be an ongoing practice to facilitate continuous improvement. I strongly believe in student-centred approaches which foster student leadership and encourage positive student experiences.
Chris Ellis
It is important to have student voices not only in regards to curriculum but on how that curriculum is delivered, student services such as mental health support and extracurricular opportunities, and in consultations that the school board holds.
Curriculum is the responsibility of the Province but school boards do have the right to supplement the standard ministry curriculum. I have stated my support for the 2015 Health Curriculum and am sure that the information that is being lost by reverting back to the 1998 Health Curriculum will still be accessible to students as the OCDSB respects human rights legislation around gender identity. I very much appreciate the students of the OCDSB and across the province in taking direct action to let us know that they also support the more relevant 2015 Health Curriculum.
I have and will continue to advocate for students to have space to advocate for themselves. An example is that during recent school closures I brought an amendment to the policy covering who would be on the Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) that students would be members. It did not pass but I will bring it forward again if that policy needs to be updated as expected.
The OCDSB has as all school boards in Ontario a student senate with representatives from all high schools. I have been the trustee appointed to that group and listened to the issues that were raised from there monthly meetings. One of the initiatives that the student senate supported along with other student senates was the right for student trustees to have a binding vote on school board policy and budgets. When the student trustees brought this to the OCDSB Board of Trustees I supported them. I will continue to support student trustee to have a binding vote at school boards.
In addition I will encourage students to participate at OCDSB advisory committees so they can add their voices in that venue. When the OCDSB ratified the policy creating the Indigenous Education Advisory Council (IEAC) I brought the amendment to add a second student to the membership of that committee.
There is still much work to be done to broaden student voices. Annual events such as the Rainbow Forum, Day of Diversity, Indigenous Day, and Students of Colour Conference where students come together with their peers and discuss issues relevant to them in a safe and supportive setting is important and I will continue to support them. These events have resulted in advice from students that have been very insightful. One piece of advice that I have heard repeatedly is to have curriculum that is more relevant to students year round, not taught only in the one month or on specific weeks. Curriculum that is less euro-concentric.