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Canadian population trends were examined from a life course perspective to identify needed social policy changes. First, the following principles underpinning the life course perspective were discussed: (1) aging involves biological, psychological, and social processes; (2) human development and aging are lifelong processes; (3) individuals' and cohorts' life courses are embedded in and shaped by historical time and place; (4) the antecedents and consequences of life transitions and events vary according to their timing in a person's life; (5) lives are lived interdependently; and (6) individuals construct their own life courses through the choices and actions they take within the opportunities and constraints of history and social circumstances. Next, the following policy domains were analyzed from the life course perspective: (1) education, the transition to employment, and lifelong learning; (2) family and the relationship between work and family; (3) work-to-retirement transitions; (4) income security in the later years; and (5) intergenerational relations and social cohesion. It was recommended that Canadian policymakers responsible for public, corporate, union, and educational policy focus on the increasing inequality that develops over the life course, avoid the error of assuming a model life course, and move toward consideration of need rather than age. (Contains 166 references.) (MN)

A fundamental goal of teachers in public schools in British Columbia (BC) is to ensure all students of every age, through the principle of continuous learning, have an equal opportunity to develop their full capacity for artistic, cultural, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth. BC public school teachers believe that the primary purpose of assessment is to support and promote students' learning. They know it is important to use a variety of methods to assess students' progress and meet students' needs. Classroom instruction and assessment practices must be congruent with a belief that learning happens when the individual child is central to, engaged in, and excited by learning. With this focus, and through a series of finely tuned and complex decisions, the teacher's responsibility is to make curricular, instructional, and assessment choices to foster the growth of the whole child. Ongoing classroom assessment allows students to demonstrate, in a variety of ways, what they are learning and thereby informs teaching and learning. Teachers know that learning is a complex process, and that students learn in different ways and at different rates. The proliferation of mandated, district-wide, and provincial testing has taken time away from teaching and learning and has had an effect on the "taught" curriculum, by both narrowing it and making it shallower. The workload on teachers has increased dramatically, adding stress to the job, and forcing some to choose to teach part-time in order to be able to comply with the requirements imposed on the system. The misguided use of school district data has not improved the learning conditions of children nor increased the resources necessary for effective instruction to ensure success for students. The so-called accountability or achievement agenda has not produced any tangible improvements for the education system as a whole nor for the children who attend schools. Teachers are committed to ensuring the best possible education for every child. It is because of this commitment that they are so concerned about the current practices in, and direction of, the public education system. If teachers are being pressured to act in ways that are harmful to children, causing children undue stress, short-changing them on exciting educational opportunities, labeling them as failures because of their language, class, or gender then there is a need to change what is being done. This paper contends that educational policy and practice must shift away from standardization and return to focusing on student's individual learning needs.

This study unearths and examines rich models of learning in which multiple institutions collaboratively play a role in promoting civic education. Using historical and ethnographic case study analysis, this paper addresses the research question: What is the role of community in civic education? Specifically, the author examines Hull House and the pioneering social settlement work of Jane Addams at the turn of the 20th century; democratic education for social change put into practice during the civil rights movement by Myles Horton, Septima Clark, Bernice Robinson, and others at the Highlander Folk School; and the Neighborhood Learning Community in St. Paul, Minnesota, a network of community institutions, schools, and higher education institutions which applies the lessons from Hull House and Highlander in its efforts to create a neighborhood culture of learning. Short overviews of these cases are given, as well as detailed lessons for the role of community in civic education. The cases in this study present important historical and contemporary models where educators commit to making change over longer periods of time; place a deliberate emphasis on comprehensive, relational, and public education; make learning relevant to people's everyday lives; recognize the creative powers of diversity through public work; utilize the talents and instincts of non-professionals; foster reciprocal relationships; and embrace flexibility and trust in the messiness of democracy. [This paper was produced by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), University of Maryland.]

Although Ontario's Ministry of Education currently funds a variety of literacy programs, the province of Ontario (Canada) currently has no overall policy, evaluation process, or agreed-upon definition of adult literacy to guide further development in the field. When developing a comprehensive government policy regarding adult literacy in Ontario, policymakers must recognize that adult literacy exists in the broader context of adult basic education and adult education. Policymakers must address the following contextual issues: lifelong learning, equity of outcome, integrated services, and the financial implications of policy decisions. The policy developed must recognize that literacy is first and foremost a human service whose delivery must be tailored to give consideration to Ontario's multicultural character. Policy decisions regarding adult literacy must be developed with consideration for the following issues: access, language rights, diverse and flexible programs, support services, field development and support, and shared responsibility. (Appended are lists of the following: literacy and skills training programs funding by Canada's ministries of education and colleges and universities; Ministry of Education-funded adult literacy programs; people consulted during the project; and issues identified during the consultations.) (MN)

There is broad recognition in Canada that offering both early childhood education to strengthen healthy development for all children and child care to support mothers' workforce participation is in the public interest. Noting that Canada does not currently provide adequate early childhood care and education, this paper examines federal/provincial jurisdictional obstacles to a national child care strategy, especially those that arose in the 1990s. The paper first examines how a national child care program has been envisioned over the years, and clarifies the proposed roles and responsibilities of the various levels of government. This part examines three failed attempts to secure a national child care strategy in the context of the shifting federalism between 1984 and 1995. The paper also analyzes child care within the concept of the social union that began to be debated as the federal role in social programs waned in the 1990s. Finally, the Social Union Framework Agreement of February 1999 and its possibilities for a national child care program are appraised. The paper maintains that the Agreement's principles and state objectives not only create a new imperative for a national child care strategy but also provide new opportunities for implementation. The paper also argues that federal leadership is necessary for any national child care strategy's success, and proposes that an effective national strategy be used as a benchmark from which to evaluate nation-shaping political arrangements such as the Social Union Framework Agreement. Appended is a list of the presentations from the conference at which this paper was originally presented. (Contains 63 references.) (KB)

This paper on adult informal learning is divided into four sections. Section 1 examines different conceptions of informal learning and the issues and limitations associated with alternative definitions of informal learning. Section 2 is a review of empirical research on the estimated extent, role, and outcomes of informal learning and posited linkages between informal and formal methods of learning. It reports that, according to the New Approaches to Lifelong Learning (NALL) 2000 national survey, over 95 percent of Canadian adults are involved in some form of informal learning activities that they identify as significant. Section 3 critically assesses current research approaches to studying informal learning and identifies policy-relevant knowledge gaps concerning the general level and nature of informal learning, distribution of informal learning across the adult population, impact of informal learning on individual and firm performance, and relationship of informal learning to formal skills development. Section 4 recommends optimal approaches to future research on informal learning practices with a particular focus on survey research in Canada and finds it imperative to establish benchmarks of the general incidence, basic contents and modes, and any differential patterns of intentional informal learning and training, and to continue to track trends in relation to other dimensions of adult learning. (Appendixes include NALL questions and 69 references.) (YLB)

A descriptive study observed the transmission of manual job skills from older to younger men in working class communities in Ontario and the effects of massive downsizing in industrial plants on this process. Current as well as previous ethnographic research was used. Some of the outcomes of the continual downsizing included the following: (1) the restructuring that destroyed many working-class communities also destroyed the social organization that stored and transmitted manual skills among men in working class communities; (2) within the workplace, the development of managerial technologies expropriated workers' skills and supported greater control of management over the work process and training; (3) the informal relationships among working-class men that were part of the community as well as the workplace were weakened by increasing technology, decreasing workforce, and managerial control; and (4) this process was gender-specific to men and included the transmission of values, such as anti-intellectualism and disdain for academic occupations. (Contains 13 references.) (KC)

These three publications examine the current state and future of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta, Canada. The "Current Context" publication, released in October 1996, examines the following topics: the structure of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta; enrollment and industry participation; Alberta's contribution to apprenticeship training and the interprovincial standards (Red Seal) program; funding apprenticeship and industry training; the emerging economic environment and skill requirements; and recent government initiatives. A "Vision for the Future," also published in October 1996, is a discussion paper and outlines the vision and principles of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta. The "Keeping you Informed" publication, released in March 1997, presents the responses from stakeholders to the discussion paper. Both the "Vision for the Future" and the "Keeping You Informed" responses are structured around 14 specific goals and strategies related to responsiveness, accessibility, affordability, and accountability. The following are among the recommendations discussed in both papers: (1) redesign the advisory committee network; (2) consider opportunities for flexible certification; (3) increase flexibility in methods of formal instruction; (4) review the regulatory framework; (5) communicate alternative ways of accessing apprenticeship training; and (6) provide apprentices with appropriate financial supports. The three documents include a total of 21 tables/charts and a questionnaire examining the vision and principles of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta and strategies for achieving them. (MN)

Aboriginal people are not benefiting from the British Columbia school system, as evidenced by their poor performance on basic skills tests, overrepresentation in special education, and low high school completion rates. The British Columbia Human Rights Commission feels that Aboriginal students do not receive an equal education. Through research, public hearings, and follow-up actions, the Commission will identify ways to use its human rights mandate and legislative authority to remove barriers for Aboriginal students in the school system. The intention of the public hearings is to work cooperatively with all education stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to ensure educational equality for Aboriginal students. Educational equity will be achieved when Aboriginal children see themselves and their people reflected in the curriculum, feel a sense of belonging in the school system, and no longer face discrimination; Aboriginal parents are a part of their children's education; Aboriginal communities share control over their children's education; a holistic approach to education is adopted; and non-Aboriginal Canadians understand their country's history regarding Aboriginal people and respect the unique status of Aboriginal people. Key questions for public hearings include: How can the Commission work with education and Aboriginal communities to create an equal education system for Aboriginal students? How can identified barriers be eliminated? What educational barriers have yet to be identified? and Which programs and activities are successful? (Contains 28 endnotes.) (TD)

The pilot project, "A Pedagogy of the Land" (POL), provides an opportunity to ponder the relations between aboriginal community/university knowledges in this case, the relations between an Anishinaape land-based pedagogy and the developing theorizing around formal and informal learning. Traditional aboriginal education is not limited to elders teaching children. While elders are responsible for passing knowledge to the appropriate people when they are ready, any person older or more experienced in a particular knowledge than another has the potential to be that person's teacher. Education is a community responsibility taken seriously by each and every community member who at any moment can be in the position of teaching. The learning in POL does not fit any category of the "Basic Types of Intentional Learning." It involves traditional indigenous knowledge keepers with some fluency in their language whose knowledge arises from traditional Anishinaape world view in a program that allows them to build on one another's knowledge and prepare to pass it on to others who know less. Located on an isolated island in a large northern lake, POL has the goal to recreate indigenous knowledge in a contemporary context. Over a year, students attend two summer courses with an intervening research component. As participants work through their days in traditional activities, they incorporate sacred knowledge into their every action. Comments from Anishinaape teacher, Kaaren Dannenmann follow. (YLB)

To take community seriously in the conduct of educational research, the researcher should consider taking down epistemological walls and the "real" ones that confine the processes and products of academic labor to artificially isolated settings. Epistemologically, the question of walls relates to the kinds of knowledge competed over, most often disciplinary knowledge. Within and around disciplinary walls are the walls of theory. Community in the context of the discussion means the creation of spaces that allow difference to be a constant, unpredictable part of who we are together. A pilot project, A Pedagogy of the Land (POL), is an example of current research in an attempt to take down the walls. POL involves traditional indigenous knowledge keepers with some fluency in their language whose knowledge arises from traditional Anishinaape world view in a program that allows them to build on one another's knowledge and prepare to pass it on to others who know less. POL addresses walls by taking the university a faculty member out of the walls of the campus. It begins from the premise that traditional knowledge has most often been pushed outside the epistemological walls of academe by being given inequitable status and prestige. What happens on the island in the north where POL is located is discourse that has been inaccessible to the English language, arises from the land, and is constructed by the people who have lived there since time immemorial. (Contains 13 references.) (YLB)

The changing world of work requires an evaluation of the ways of thinking about career development and the ways of preparing people for future roles. Canada's participation in a global economy is a reality that must be recognized and translated into career-planning strategies. There are three major global trends that career practitioners must be aware of: the increasingly technological world, the increasingly borderless world, and the increasingly polarized world. Competencies that workers need in order to be successful in the global marketplace are discussed as well as the barriers to their success. In order for career practitioners and workers to be globally minded, they need the following: access to information about the impact of global trends; assistance in seeing themselves as global workers; opportunities for international travel and study; knowledge about cross-cultural competencies; and role models. Both individual and organizational efforts are needed to prepare students and employees for future work roles. (Author/JDM)

This report presents a brief overview of the most common approaches to the calculation of transfer rates and discusses the use of a transfer rate as a measure of institutional effectiveness. It provides an overview of existing practices and helps to inform a discussion of whether or not transfer rate data should be collected from British Columbia (BC) public postsecondary institutions and how transfer rates should be calculated. The issue of how best to calculate a transfer rate depends in part upon the purpose underlying the collection of such information. If the rate is to be used as a measure of college effectiveness with consequences that follow for the institution depending upon its "success," then how the rate is calculated becomes very important. The key difference in the calculation of various transfer rates rests in the precise definitions of entering or exiting student cohort, time frame for transfer, minimum number of college credits completed, type of curriculum studied, and student intent to transfer. The report looks at transfer rates and the BC postsecondary system and discusses possible transfer rate models in the BC context: entering student cohort model, exiting student cohort model, transfer readiness model, and transfer of credits model. Some recommendations conclude the report. Contains 10 references. (VWC)

Intends to facilitate discussion between the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer and degree-granting institutions regarding the feasibility of establishing new transfer arrangements for students who have completed an associate degree in a British Columbian (BC) college or university college and are subsequently admitted to another degree-granting institution. Focuses on the initiative of providing improved transfer for associate degrees as transfer difficulties created by the complexity of the BC transfer environment increases. Asserts that new agreements for the transfer of completed associate degrees, as well as admission priority for students holding an associate degree would achieve this end. Recommends that an "Associate Degree Transfer Policy" could guarantee a minimum of 60 transfer credits but still require students to complete all lower and upper division requirements for their baccalaureate degree. Under any new arrangement respecting transfer for the associate degree, institutions would maintain appropriate control over the academic requirements for all degrees, majors, and concentrations. Under ideal conditions potential transfer students would plan their selection of courses for the associate degree by including the requirements for majors within the electives. Students who failed to do so could be required to complete additional credits beyond the 60 specified in the associate degree. Priority admission over all other transfer institutions could be granted to any student who has completed an associate degree. (VWC)

From 1995-1998, 12 of the 79 organizations funded by Canada's National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) conducted approximately 40 workplace literacy pilot projects across Canada. Those projects were reviewed to determine their effectiveness in increasing the number and quality of Canadian workplace literacy programs. Information for the review was collected from the following sources: review of pertinent materials available through the NLS; conversations with practitioners involved in workplace pilot projects and provincial government representatives; and interviews with representatives of 4 of the 12 organizations (an employer association, federation of labor, the Prairie Regional Training Consortium, and an industrial sector training council). The pilot projects tended to have three fields of activity: learning activities; short-term organizational change strategies; and long-term structural workplace change. The pilots have introduced literacy into a range of new industries and workplaces; however, only a small number of workplaces have created foundations for ongoing programs. Recommendations emerging from the review included calls for the NLS to fund more innovative workplace learning strategies and extend the time and financial resources for pilots to support more effective organizational change activities. A French translation is included. (Appended is information about how the review was conducted.) (MN)

A Virtual Research and Extension Communication Network (VRECN) is a set of networked electronic tools facilitating improvement in communication processes and information sharing among stakeholders involved in agricultural development. In developing countries, research and extension personnel within a ministry of agriculture, in consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders, can develop and implement a VRECN. The tools are artifacts of a planned and ongoing process of stakeholder involvement in mapping communication- and information-sharing relationships and identifying critical relationships that require improvement to reach agricultural development and food security goals. Creating a VRECN in a developing country requires a planned process of stakeholder engagement, multi-stakeholder assessments of communication and information needs, and collaborative workshops to determine the desired characteristics of a VRECN, management relationships, and development partnerships. Six steps are to conduct project preparation, information technology assessment, and VRECN prototype development; identify product and services for VRECN; create VRECN prototype and directory; evaluate product and services; identify and secure staff support; and evaluate project. A number of tangible products result from a preplanned process for creating a VRECN, particularly through efforts to establish stakeholder needs assessments and collaborative working groups. (YLB)

This paper analyzes the current proposals by the government of Alberta, Canada, to implement an accountability framework for the province's postsecondary institutions using performance indicators. The paper develops a conceptual framework for performance indicators based on a discrepancy model of evaluation using three metaphors: mechanical, medical, and economic. This is followed by a critical examination of performance indicators with delineation of potential weaknesses and strengths as well as recommendations for practice. Finally, the Alberta plan is used as a case study to illustrate the concepts developed in the paper. The Alberta plan for performance indicators in the public postsecondary sector is seen as reflecting an economic metaphor of performance indicators which will result in measuring fiscal effectiveness as opposed to educational effectiveness. Further, while the Alberta government has indicated that the performance indicators will allow for inter- and intra-sectoral variations, no allowances seem to have been made for a value-added assessment of student outcomes, which is at the heart of the purpose for postsecondary educational institutions. (Contains 19 references.) (Author)

Following a review of Alberta (Canada) provincial policies related to teacher preparation, certification, evaluation, and professional development, the Council on Alberta Teaching Standards advised the Minister of Education on ideas that should be included in a framework to improve educational quality. The policy positions outlined in this paper reflect the Minister of Education's commitment to a provincial policy framework that guides individual, cooperative, and collaborative actions to enhance the quality of education provided to all Alberta students. This paper specifies the steps for enhancing the quality of teaching in Alberta, including: (1) The Quality Teaching Standard and descriptors of quality teaching to be used as guides in teacher preparation programs, teaching, teachers' initial and ongoing professional growth, and teacher evaluation; (2) improved teacher preparation with support for ongoing collaboration to improve teaching and establish procedures to assure the effectiveness of teacher preparation and competencies; (3) teacher certification and amending the Certification of Teachers Regulation to specify both academic and competency requirements for interim and permanent certification; and (4) teacher evaluation and professional development. Appendix A includes descriptions of elements in quality teaching; required knowledge, skills, and aptitudes; and certification implementation. (JLS)

The Western paradigm of education regards schools as the essential institutionalized cultural settings in which formal learning can take place and as the only socially valid settings in which learners can get a formal education. Knowledge is commodified and may be exchanged for currency in the form of jobs or licenses. Learning that occurs outside this institutionalized educational system is judged by the dominant culture to be invalid for certification or professional recognition, is labeled informal, and is associated with the unschooled. This dichotomization of education into formal and informal learning serves to maintain unequal relations of power in education as well as the control, marginalization, and exploitation of minority groups in society. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Canada Natives had their own highly successful systems of education. The Elders are the most knowledgeable people in Aboriginal societies, yet their learning has been through informal practices and is therefore unrecognized by the dominant culture. Aboriginal people want their children to learn everything that formal education has to offer, as well as their own culture and ways of doing things. The work of Elders must be incorporated into the practices of the formal educational system so that it contributes to the acquisition of credit in formal courses. Obstacles to Elders' participation in formal education must be identified and overcome. (Contains 19 references.) (TD)

This paper overviews the evolution of rural society in Ontario (Canada) from the author's personal experience and research. The paper defines "rural" and "culture" and discusses how these concepts are relevant to social change and the resulting effects on technology, demographics, social organization, and community beliefs and meanings. Modern technology has resulted in the closure of rural schools, churches, businesses, and post offices. Additionally, daily travel between large and small communities has closed the gap between rural and urban life and changed rural demography. For example, rural teachers are now less likely to live in the community; to know much of the child's home life; or to meet socially with the children, their parents, or other individuals active in the community. Another impact of rural change is the centralization of local institutions and loss of local control. In rural Ontario, schools are managed by a cluster of highly trained and highly paid officials with whom parents, teachers, and principals have limited influence. In essence, urbanization has resulted in the adoption of urban values and beliefs at the expense of traditional rural values that emphasize the importance of community life. A form of social action is proposed that uses "community sounding" as a way to stimulate rural community rejuvenation. This effort solicits community participation and stresses local history to reestablish an awareness of rural values. Rural people must strive to develop a new definition of rural by freeing themselves from labels and stereotypes that are impressed on them by urban opinion makers. (LP)

This report examines the status, funding, and accessibility of child care in Canada and presents recommendations for the federal government to improve access to quality child care for all Canadians. The report describes the purposes that can be served by child care and illustrates how it can advance social and economic objectives of national importance. Major concerns with current funding methods and affordability are identified, and the lack of child care spaces for low-income families is documented. The report also discusses the low salaries and inadequate working conditions of child care staff. The paper concludes by advancing 12 specific recommendations to improve child care access and quality, chief of which is that the federal government promote the long-term goal of a publicly-funded, universally-accessible, comprehensive and high quality child care system for all Canadians. Six appendixes include a list of child care grants in Canada, a description of the Canadian Assistance Plan (CAP) child care subsidy, data on child care costs by income level, an evaluation of various funding options, and a description of a comprehensive child-care service system in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Contains 119 references. (MDM)

Adult educators' philosophies of learning and teaching have a major impact on their evaluations of students. The evaluation methods used by adult educators are often incongruent with their apparent teaching-learning philosophies. Effective evaluation must be intricately woven throughout the teaching-learning process. Teachers must look at their own histories and experiences and consider how what they already know as a teacher affects how they will and should evaluate students. Some suggested springboards for reflection are remembering as a learner, remembering as a teacher, and examining personal teaching-learning beliefs. Before evaluating other adults, adult educators must realize that entering a learning situation forces adults who consider themselves competent, self-reliant, and self-directing to relinquish control, surrender to the authority of another adult or institutions, participate in situations where their weaknesses are on public display, and accept criticism from another adult just because that adult holds greater status. Adult educators must consider the evaluative context and ask themselves three questions: Who are the learners? What is the context for evaluating the learners? and Whose interests are controlling the learning content/desired outcome? To be helpful, evaluation must be clear, immediate, regular, accessible, individualized, affirming, future oriented, justifiable, educative, and selective. (MN)

The Alberta Minster of Education recently announced a major education restructuring plan. Two components of the plan have a significant impact on the roles and responsibilities of various members of the education community--school-based management and school councils. This document contains position statements concerning the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in education. The position statements were derived from the School Act and related regulations and provincial policies and guidelines; the provincial government's school restructuring plan and Alberta Education's Three-Year Business Plan; and the results of a 1994 public-consultation process. The paper is based on the following assumptions: (1) all members of a society have a responsibility to contribute to the education of young people; (2) all roles and responsibilities in education are interrelated; (3) the clarification of roles and responsibilities will strengthen relationships and consequently will improve the quality of education; and (4) positive attitudes and goodwill are as important as legislative and regulatory controls. Following the introduction and background, the document contains 14 key premises and definitions. Roles and responsibilities are then outlined for students, parents, school councils, school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, school and school-jurisdiction staff, the community, and Alberta Education. One figure and an appendix that summarizes the primary and contributory roles for education partners are included. (LMI)

In response to a position paper that called upon the ministry of education in each Canadian province to provide a balanced selection to offerings on the province's authorized list of language arts textbooks, several ministries claimed that a balanced approach to teaching reading was being followed. A letter received from Alberta Education even stated that all of the whole-language programs approved for use in that province included explicit instruction in phonics (particularly the Journeys, Networks, and Impressions programs). Yet many Canadian parents, columnists, and academics believe otherwise, and the Reading and Literacy Institute of Alberta has called for more phonics instruction in the schools. The phonics and phonemic awareness exercises in such programs as the one developed by B. A. Blachman are effective in helping children to become successful readers and should be part of all beginning reading programs. Phonics instruction in the whole language programs provides children with one additional context clue (sound) that they then can employ together with other context clues, while phonics instruction in phonemic awareness programs offers children an important primary strategy for word identification that can be employed by itself. Ministries of education should take the following actions: (1) change curriculum guidelines to include the need for phonemic awareness training; (2) encourage Canadian textbook publishers to supplement their whole-language programs with phonemic awareness training exercises; (3) encourage teacher education institutions to provide prospective teachers with information on phonemic awareness training; and (4) encourage classroom teachers to use phonemic awareness exercises during normal reading instruction. (Contains 61 references.) (RS)

Many Canadians are concerned about the quality of reading instruction in Canadian schools. Recent newspaper articles, research reviews, and newsletter articles reflect the nature of these concerns. The official instructional policy in a number of provinces as well as in a number of local school districts is based on a whole-language philosophy. The major emphasis across Canada is on the top-down whole-language approach instead of the bottom-up, phonics, or code-emphasis approach to reading. Although it is widely recognized that whole-language programs contain a number of features that can benefit children in many ways, the accumulated evidence suggests that whole language may not be appropriate for all children and that for some children, it may even lead to serious reading problems. Ministries of education across Canada should provide school districts with a balanced selection of offerings in the language arts curriculum, and school psychologists should encourage teachers, primary consultants, etc. to select beginning reading materials that match children's needs. (Contains 21 references.) (RS)

The adolescent child in Canada today lives in a world of rapid social, cultural, economic, and technological change, further complicated by the normal emotional, physical, and intellectual changes of 14- to 18-year-old children. The philosophical bases of high school education, therefore, should be reexamined to provide an environment conducive to positive learning. Schools should place a high priority on the community so that students view school as relevant to the world around them. Specific goals for high schools should include: (1) developing critical as well as cultural literacy; (2) integrating theory and practice in instruction to provide more concrete experiences for students; (3) developing effective language skills, such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing; (4) helping students learn to use technology to learn; (5) helping students develop their abilities and productive thinking strategies; (6) teaching students to work cooperatively and understand the consequences of their actions; and (7) helping students cope with change. To fulfill these goals, schools need to create effective learning environments by making classrooms more student centered and more conducive to risk taking, by meeting students' intellectual needs, and by maximizing the aesthetic potential of students. Schools should also create in students a sense of the community and prepare them for life and work by providing practical and relevant instruction. Local educational authorities should develop a plan which includes information dissemination and assessment processes and a procedure for involving all high school staff in school planning. Contains 50 references. (AC)

This report explains the state of child care in Canada and proposes specific solutions to remedy the inadequacies of the current system. Part one discusses the changing composition and needs of Canadian families, defines the nature of child care, and explains what a comprehensive child care system should consist of. Part two addresses the difficulties that many families have in obtaining adequate child care, the availability of regulated child care, the high cost of such care, and the components of high quality child care. Part three presents some solutions to these problems, outlining the current national child care policy, the debate about child care policy in the 1980s, and possible solutions for the future. Contains 84 references. (MDM)

This paper describes the findings of an OECD project examining ICT impact measurement and analyses based on official statistics. Both economic and social impacts are covered and some results are presented. It attempts to place ICT impacts measurement into an Information Society conceptual framework, provides some suggestions for standardising terminology and methodologies, and advocates for further work in a number of hardware and software areas. (A bibliography is included. Contains 19 footnotes, 4 figures and 3 tables.)

This report presents results of a task force analysis and synthesis of responses from the field regarding the discussion paper, Continuing Education: The Third System. It consists of seven components from which the task force analyzed responses. Within each of these sections, the analysis outlines points of consensus; points of controversy; and points of differences between school boards, colleges, and universities. The seven categories are definition and philosophy, adult basic education, coordination (local and provincial coordination and the roles of institutions), infrastructure (training of adult educators, provision of counseling and information services, information for future planning, and research), access to continuing education (TV Ontario, correspondence education, and distance education), legislation and funding, and francophone response. A list of points raised by respondents and not covered elsewhere in the report is also provided. Appendixes, amounting to approximately one-half of the report, include a distribution list of the discussion paper; a list of respondents; a review of selected literature relating to continuing education, entitled "Historical and Developmental Trends in Continuing Education"; and a copy of the response form. (YLB)

The final paper in a series of 17 studies on new technologies in Canadian education, this report focuses on the issues raised throughout the earlier papers. It begins with a summary of the educational activities in the use of each technology in education, i.e., film, television, and videotape; radio and audiotape; computer technology; teleconferencing; videotex/Telidon; satellite technology; and videodisc technology. The statements and conclusions in this summary are based on information, examples, and comments contained in the first 16 papers. Also discussed are issues and concerns relating to the use of technology in teaching and learning; planning for the development of technology in education; and changes in education. Essays written by nine representatives from educational institutions to present a cross-section of issues, opinions, and research on how learning can be enhanced through the use of technology are then presented: (1) "Views on Technology in Canadian Education" (Joseph Koenig); (2) "Technology in Education for the Future" (Catherine Ann Cameron); (3) "Policy Issues Relating to Computer Use in Education" (Tom Rich); (4) "The CAI Dilemma" (Robert J. D. Jones); (5) "The Thorny Question of Software" (Louise Dubuc); (6) "Planning for Technological Changes in Postsecondary Institutions" (James A. Humphries); (7) "Educational Technology" (Denis Hlynka); (8) "Integration and Intelligence" (Michel Umbriaco); and (9) "New Connections between Technology and Education" (Sylvia Gold). Short biographies of the nine contributors are included. (DB)

This publication presents a response from the Ontario College of Teachers to the Canadian Minister of Education regarding the newly mandated teacher certification testing. It sets the stage for the provision of complete, accurate, and reliable advice, containing a summary of the extensive research conducted by the College and providing a wide range of options which emerge from the research. It acknowledges the value of consultation and invites input from members of the College, from education stakeholders, and from the public. It lays the foundation for the development of recommendations for consideration by the College Council as it formulates the advice that will be forwarded to the Minister. The paper consists of four main sections: (1) "Maintaining Competency: Survey of Programs and Practices of Ontario Self-Regulatory Bodies"; (2) "Ensuring Competency: Survey of International Programs and Practices in the Teaching Profession"; (3) "Demonstrating Competency in the Teaching Profession: The Ontario Context"; and (4) "Consultation: Addressing the Range of Options Emerging from the Research." A consultation response form is included. (Contains 79 references.) (SM)

This paper describes the current policies and initiatives regarding the application of technology in Canada, Mexico and the United States. It also analyzes the need for policy development regarding technological networks, equipment, and educational content. The report also includes recommendations regarding specific initiatives for tri-national collaboration in the use of technology to improve higher education. The contents include descriptions of the policies and initiatives at the federal, regional, and state (provincial) levels in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Institutional policies and initiatives are also examined as are collaborations between business and higher education. The paper concludes with a summary of current policy climate in the three countries and suggests opportunities for cross-border collaboration. These include development of tri-national policies regarding accreditation of distance education courses and portability of students' knowledge and skills acquired among institutions and across borders; trinational staff and faculty training in the use of technology; trinational discipline--specific forums for faculty with similar interest; implementation of pilot projects; creation of a mechanism for international and inter-institutional sharing of information and experience; and creation of consortia and partnership models. (JLS)

This paper reports the results of a survey of a number of high technology companies in Canada who were asked to provide information about their relationship with the educational system, the application of their products in education, and their views on the implications for education in general of the new technology in information and communications. It is noted that the 20 respondents represent producers of educational software, especially programs for computer-assisted learning and authoring languages; telecommunications systems; mainframe and microcomputers; and work stations (some without direct application in education). The information provided by the respondents has been grouped thematically. The first section covers the broad theme of the changes in education and society that will be hastened by the integration of the new technology. The effect on the curriculum and teaching methods in elementary and secondary schools is discussed in section 2. The third section considers the relationship between education and training, and how it might change according to the demands of the technological workplace. The fourth section reports on how the special educational needs of high technology employees are being met by the higher education system, while the fifth presents high technology's futuristic vision of education and how that vision might be made more consistent with the promise of technology. The final section examines and critiques the respondents' vision of the influence of technology on education. A list of the 20 contributing companies is included. (DB)

Women's educational needs and the viability of postsecondary institutions are inextricably bound. Women are in transition. Increasingly entering the labor force, women see postsecondary institutions as a means of accomplishing new occupational goals. Now a postsecondary student majority, they are, because of their age, part-time status, and large numbers, considered nontraditional. While some exemplary programs for women exist at British Columbia's postsecondary institutions, most nontraditional learning opportunities are ad hoc, peripheral, fragmented and demonstrate a lack of institutional commitment. An institutionally based Women's Access Program should be adopted. Planning and implementation guidelines for such a program have been developed and are included in this report. Program goals are to assist women in obtaining access to postsecondary institutions and community services and resources, and to assist institutions in modifying practices which present barriers to women. Recommendations to the Ministry of Education and a plan to assist institutions achieve these goals have been formulated. Hopefully, institutions will adopt policies which accommodate the needs of women learners. (Author/CSS)

Arguing that technology should be incorporated into the curriculum so that students learn "about technology,""in technology," and "through technology," the Alberta Technology in Education Committee looks forward to the year 2000 and assesses ways in which technology can be applied both in the classroom and in distance education in Alberta, Canada. The committee's vision, which is reflected in this document, of the teacher-learning process of the future is based on a division of labor where teachers can function in the uniquely human areas of diagnosis, prescription, motivation, and overall management of the learning process for individuals and groups of various sizes, while technology can play a greater part in exposition, simulation, and information processing and retrieval. The committee sees various forms of educational technology in use in the future, including computer-based work stations with access to local and remote databases; student access to portable computers; schools equipped with satellite receiving and transmitting equipment; widespread use of holography; student access to a variety of information sources, including primary sources; and student access at all grade levels to technological tools such as lasers, robotics, and music synthesizers. However, the committee also believes that an action-oriented plan to incorporate this new technology is urgently needed. The text is supplemented with charts, and eight references are provided. (EW)

Marks on Paper, a type of popular theater developed in British Columbia, helps literacy learners change personal beliefs about themselves, generates a sense of belonging, helps them break out of isolation, and transforms them through empowerment and action. (SK)

North Americans' fear and preoccupation with safety and security as a result of the September 11 attacks is similar to that felt by gays and lesbians in daily life. Queer persons are not part of the Christian family, according to Jerry Falwell and other rightist Christian fundamentalists, including those involved in transformative ministry and reparative therapy. Transformational ministry is aimed at elimination of same-sex desire and intimacy and conversion to a heterosexual lifestyle. Reparative therapy is orthodox psychotherapy which, unlike current American Psychiatric Association practices, classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder. A politics of conversion, characterized by self-worth and concern for others, would argue against such exclusionary practices. Cornell West locates heterosexism in power intersections with white supremacy and patriarchy. His vision of a popular struggle for liberation incorporates queer people into a vision for cultural democracy. Democratic transformative learning is the responsibility of educators in order to eliminate not only homophobia but also racism and patriarchy from both curricula and campus activities. Exemplars of this goal include The Diversity Conferences of Alberta Society (DCAS), which worked to build understanding and create social justice while providing space and a place for gay and lesbian students and adults to deliberate issues of sexuality and spirituality; and Agape, which investigated sex-and-gender differences in education. (12 references) (AJ)

In 1999, the Committee on Lifelong Learning of the Ministry of Learning in Alberta, Canada, conducted a series of consultations on lifelong learning to identify ways of helping adults return to learning to improve their employment potential and realize their career goals. The committee received input from more than 450 Albertans in 14 rural and urban communities. The committee synthesized the input received during the consultation process into the following recommendations: (1) enhance the flexibility of learning opportunities; (2) promote a coordinated approach to recognition of prior learning and promote course/program transferability; (3) enhance community-based learning; (4) promote trades as a career choice; (5) provide more opportunities for applied learning; (6) encourage learning providers to collaborate for adult upgrading opportunities in adult settings; (7) improve adult literacy; (8) enhance provision of English-as-a-second language programming; (9) build confidence for adults to pursue lifelong learning; (10) increase awareness of adult counseling and career development services; (11) support funding for lifelong learning; (12) encourage government and employers to support lifelong learning; (13) achieve effective use of technology, including learning technologies; (14) encourage seniors' participation in lifelong learning; (15) develop a directory of learning opportunities and supports; (16) develop a policy framework for lifelong learning; and (17) communicate the importance of lifelong learning. (MN)

The MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Committee on Lifelong Learning held consultations at more than 14 rural and urban locations throughout Alberta to gather stakeholders' and community members' views on the need for lifelong learning and ways of promoting it. Participants were asked to identify strategies to encourage and enable adults to return to learning and thereby improve their employment potential and realize their career goals, as well as to share information on learning activities and needs in their communities. More than 400 individuals participated in the consultations. Their suggestions fell primarily into the following categories: (1) ensure that students in the basic learning system are successful in their learning; (2) increase opportunities for adult learning; (3) strengthen community-based learning; (4) provide special supports for literacy, English-as-a-second-language, and other special needs programs; (5) develop a directory of learning programs and supports available to Albertans; (6) develop better cooperation and collaboration among learning providers; (7) encourage greater employer support for lifelong learning; (8) improve standards and certification to improve facilitation of lifelong learning; (9) fund lifelong learning; and (10) promote lifelong learning. The concerns raised during the individual meetings varied, depending on whether the meeting was in a rural or urban location and participants' knowledge of lifelong learning. (MN)

The rhetoric surrounding career education programs was examined by exploring two questions. The first question was which employment sectors anticipate significant job growth and what skill levels and academic competencies were required to work within those sectors. The second question was whether increasing the level of student knowledge and skill made a difference in addressing the problems identified as the motivation for various skill initiatives in career education programs. The analysis focused on labor patterns in British Columbia. The analysis established that little evidence exists to support the widespread assumption of a growing skills gap separating the academic abilities of students leaving secondary school and the actual competencies required for current and projected employment opportunities. Rather, the major job growth areas in Canada and other industrialized countries appeared to be in low-salaried, low-skill service occupations in the hospitality, food service, and retail sectors. The assumption of many policymakers that a highly skilled labor market protects national competitiveness and that investment in education and training helps form the human capital that is vital to ensuring economic growth and individual advancement and reducing inequality were also concluded to be flawed. Career education was called a reflection of neoliberal ideology. (Contains 29 references.) (MN)

In the past decade, significant advances in information technologies in the Euro-American world have fostered the creation of information monopolies. The prices imposed by the monopolies, whose products are largely in the English language, have caused academic libraries to focus almost exclusively on international scientific and cultural materials demanded by their researchers. This has resulted in an insidious and progressive marginalization of regional cultures. After careful consideration of this issue, the University of Calgary's 1998 Library of the Future Task Force recommended that the University of Calgary adopt an integrated approach to information that incorporates both production and consumption activities. The university would move to a "just for you" library and provide information through contracted electronic access whenever possible. To ensure that it becomes a net contributor to preservation and dissemination of knowledge rather than just a consumer of products of the information monopolies, the library will work to preserve primary materials by creating a digital archive of materials about and produced by Western Canada's Aboriginal communities, thus taking national and regional community needs into account. Whether the proposed policy change will succeed in reducing the marginalization of regional culture remains to be seen. (Contains 14 references.) (MN)

Online teaching technologies still have three main disadvantages: cost, complexity, and negative impacts on productivity. In many areas of Canada, cost is still a major factor affecting ownership and use of computers and other new technologies. Until online teaching technologies become as simple to use as telephones and new cars, they will continue to fail to produce productivity increases. The Internet illustrates how online teaching technologies have been a mixed blessing. The Internet's potential advantages as a teaching tool stem from the fact that it is engrossing and inherently interesting, incorporates multi-sensory uses of media, provides enormous numbers of connections to other sources of information and interaction, allows everyone an individualized experience, and can both reflect and be a creation of teachers and learners. However, these same characteristics also account for some of the Internet's major weaknesses as a teaching tool. Any plan to use the Internet and other new technologies as teaching tools must begin with a quality-oriented assessment of the given technology's fitness for use as a teaching tool. Factors to consider include whether the technology is directly related to the learning outcomes of specific audiences of learners, affordable, readily accessible to local users, and durable and long-lasting. (MN)

This paper develops the principles which underly the policy statement of the Canadian Teachers' Federation. The introductory material discusses the need to study foreign language in today's interdependent world, and particularly in Canada, an officially bilingual country. Also discussed are the enrollment trends in the provinces and the aims and objectives of a French Second Language program. Regarding the level of competency to be achieved, it is stated that every student has the right to attain a basic competency. This is defined as a good knowledge of the language, ability to make oneself understood in conversation, ability to read standard texts, some knowledge of French-speaking communities, and ability to take up the study of French again at a later date. The aims of middle and top level classes are outlined as well as criteria for achievement on all levels. The criteria concern: (1) time on task, (2) teacher education, (3) teaching materials and cultural orientation, (4) class size and pupil/teacher contact, (5) support services, and (6) parental and community contact. Finally, it is proposed that basic competency in a second language be instituted as a requirement for admission to any university and that the government of Canada promote language education. (AMH)

After three decades of decline, the amount of time spent by parents on childcare in the U.S. began to rise dramatically in the mid-1990s. Moreover, the rise in childcare time was particularly pronounced among college-educated parents. Why would highly educated parents increase the amount of time they allocate to childcare at the same time that their own market returns have skyrocketed? After finding no empirical support for standard explanations, such as selection or income effects, we offer a new explanation. We argue that increased competition for college admissions may be an important source of these trends. The number of college-bound students has surged in recent years, coincident with the rise in time spent on childcare. The resulting "cohort crowding" has led parents to compete more aggressively for college slots by spending increasing amounts of time on college preparation. Our theoretical model shows that, since college-educated parents have a comparative advantage in college preparation, rivalry leads them to increase preparation time by a greater amount than less-educated parents. We provide empirical support for our explanation with a comparison of trends between the U.S. and Canada, and a comparison across racial groups in the U.S.

This paper raises 15 issues concerning the system of adult education in Ontario. Underlying these issues are three fundamental questions posed by the paper: (1) To what extent, if any, should the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities commit themselves to a philosophy of lifelong education?, (2) Given the extent of the investment in continuing education, should the two Ministries have a comprehensive policy of continuing education to ensure coordination?, and (3) Given that the majority of learners from grade 9 up are now parttime students, should continuing education be a high priority? The paper discusses the 15 issues in six chapters. These chapters cover the following topics: philosophical approach to continuing education; adult basic education (including adult educator training); access to continuing education, including alternative delivery systems; and government legislation and funding. Some specific client groups for continuing education are tentatively identified in the paper. They include the undereducated, the unemployed, the underemployed, the handicapped, and the aging. It is posited that continuing education could perhaps be expanded and made more accessible to meet the needs and demands of all of those who seek learning opportunities. A form for reaction to the issues under discussion is included in the report. (KC)

This paper summarizes the CHOICES project, an interactive computerized career information system developed to assist users in searching through the range of occupations which exist in Canada, and outlines possible future plans. Discussions of what the system is and why it is needed include a list of 14 benefits for clients of the system. Problems related to integrating CHOICES into the school context are discussed, and a 7-step plan for using it to enhance career counseling is proposed. A general description of how the system works is followed by a printout of a "conversation" which demonstrates the program and the kinds of information available. Information gained from a pilot study conducted to confirm the effectiveness of CHOICES is summarized, including emerging guidelines, general recommendations, secondary school recommendations, postsecondary recommendations, recommendations for implementation, and general conclusions. A discussion of the future of CHOICES looks at its future clientele, considers alternative modes of access to the system, and sets some goals. The paper concludes with four short scenarios to demonstrate what might be possible in the years ahead. (CHC)

This paper introduces a rationale and format for the introduction of microcomputers into the classrooms of British Columbia on a cost-effective basis. The three purposes of the paper are (1) to briefly present the activities of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC); (2) to describe in general terms how British Columbia might benefit from the MECC experience through a particular adaptation to provincial needs; and (3) to encourage discussion among, and reaction from, the educational community. Descriptions of the background, operations, and specifications of hardware and software of MECC are followed by suggestions for the development of a similar service in British Columbia. The suggestions include a small scale adaptation to meet ten presently identified needs. The paper concludes with a request for reader reactions to add to J.E.M. (Joint Educational Management) Projects information on the viability of the suggested J.E.M. involvement, specification of school/district needs, identification of individuals who would be willing to share in the project, and identification of school districts which would consider first stage involvement. (CHC)

Papers on the education and training of librarians, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "The Role of New Technology in the Librarianship Syllabus," in which J. A. Large and R. F. Guy (United Kingdom) describe possible problems related to the integration of new technology in library school curricula and the experience of introducing such instruction at the College of Librarianship Wales; (2) "Teaching New Technologies: Whose Role Is It?" in which G. Edward Evans (United States) outlines his view that library schools must teach students about operations, applications, and use of information/telecommunications technology; (3) "The Codified System of Post-School Training of Librarians in the Slovak Socialist Republic," a report by Horst Hogh (Czechoslovakia) on that country's permanent cyclical continuing education system for librarians; (4) "Comparative Trends in Library and Information Science Curricula in the USA, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany--A Study Originating from the IFLA Project 'Equivalency and Reciprocity'," in which Diann D. Rusch focuses on educational requirements and specializations and on the response of library schools to changes in the job market; and (5) "The Training of Librarians for Technological Society. Polish Experience and Problems" by Stefan Kubow (Poland). (ESR)

This paper prepared for the Task Force on the Role of School Library Media Programs in Networking reviews the role of networking in such programs, lists the objectives of networking for library consortia, and discusses such topics as the benefits and disadvantages of participation in these organizations, prerequisites and criteria for networking, and barriers to cooperation. An analysis of clienteles to be served is also provided, as well as lists of networking relationships and types of networking activities, and a model of the parameters of library consortia. School library participation in networking activities is described for the states of California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the Calgary (Alberta) Public Library. Recommendations directed to the task force and a 34-item bibliography conclude the report. (RAO)

Examined in this paper is the relationship between the early reconnaissance and arrival of individual Italians and the great flow of migration into Canada by the Italians at the turn of the century. Taken into consideration are the Italian origins of some early Canadian heroes and the degree of their "Italianita." Differences between these individuals and the less notable Italian settlers and soldiers who set many of the patterns that were important in the later mass migration are pointed out. Lapses in the immigration of Italians to Canada are described from a historical perspective. Occupations and trades characteristic of the Italian immigrants and their influences on Canadian enterprise and society are discussed. Problems of stereotyping and discriminatory attitudes experienced by the immigrants are also discussed from both sociological and historical viewpoints. In addition, references are made to the on again/off again relationship that existed between the Canadian government and the immigrants at different points in history. Considerable attention is given to the ways the "new immigrants" were at the heart of the organization and full industrialization of Canada. (EB)