An educational trip
Thursday, November 15, 2012 7 Thursday, November 15, 2012 7
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Community Meetings
WVSD superintendent Chris Kennedy makes an overseas journey to study Finland’s highly rated educational system
Land, Learning and Livability Following its recent request for proposals, the North Vancouver Board of Education is hosting two
F
inland’s education system is hailed as one of the strongest in the world, a high benchmark for regarding potential future use of other countries to aspire to. Ridgeway Annex and Plymouth Schools. This is exactly what Chris Kennedy, West Vancouver School District superProponents will present an overview of their proposals and answer intendent, came face-to-face with when questions from trustees. The public will also have the opportunity to he took a trip to Finland this summer. ask questions and provide input. Everyone is invited to attend and He wanted to see what West Van, a learn more about these possibilities. municipality with another high perInternatIonal studIes - Supt. Chris forming education system, could learn Kennedy gives Finland top grades for preparing its Ridgeway Annex meeting Plymouth School meeting from the European country. teachers. Submitted photo Tuesday, November 20th Tuesday, December 4th As it turns out, he says, Finland is lencorben@yahoo.ca twitter.com/nsoutlook doing a better job training their teach7:00 pm 7:00 pm that attracts people to teaching in Finland, ers than at home in B.C. Ridgeway Annex Plymouth School Kennedy says. Teachers getinstantreplay similar salaIn Finland, he continues, university spots ries, or less, here in B.C. 450 East 5th Street 919 Tollcross Road LEN CORBEN » COLUMNIST WWW.NORTHSHOREOUTLOOK.COM for teachers are created based on demand, While British Columbia attracts highwhereas in B.C. “dramatically” more teachquality teachers, he adds, a better job could Please plan to attend, become informed and share your views. ers are trained than the number of skolenko@northshoreoutlook.com vacanbe done in getting the right people through twitter.com/seankolenko cies. To learn more, please visit: education programs, while weeding out “I was very impressed with the amountcoffeewww.blog44/landmanagement those who aren’t a good fit. of work they put in with teachers before SEAN KOLENKO » STAFF REPORTER Email: Engagement@nvsd44.bc.ca Although school is free in Finland, the WWW.NORTHSHOREOUTLOOK.COM they actually enter the classroom and the curriculum is organized difongoing professional developferently. At 16 years of age mgarstin@northshoreoutlook.com ment as they go through their Visit: www.nvsd44.bc.ca | Call: 604.903.3444 twitter.com/michaelagarstin students choose an upper careers,” he told The Outlook. secondary program or a vocacoffeewith “It seemed more thorough and tional program, then at 19, MICHAELA GARSTIN » STAFF REPORTER consistent than we often are about one year later than in here.” Canada, they start univerIt’s widely discussed that sity. Students don’t begin school until seven “the best of the best” go into teaching in years old, but can go to user-pay preschools WWW.NORTHSHOREOUTLOOK.COM Finland, he adds. If teacher candidates and kindergartens before that. are unsuccessful, then they look into other Over in Sweden, Kennedy noticed more occupations, like becoming a doctorviewpoint or continued, PAGE 8 engineer. And it’s not the pay in particular CHRIS BRYAN » GUEST COLUMNIST
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