(School hallway image via Shutterstock)
Manitoba students rank dead last in a new national report comparing math, science and reading scores with other provinces.
The report from the Council of Ministers of Education conducted tests on 32,000 Grade 8 students in English and French last year as part of the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program.
Top marks in the report went to Ontario and Alberta.
In light of the grim report, Manitoba’s Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum introduced an action plan on Tuesday focused on improving academic achievement for students in the province.
Called Closing the Achievement Gap: Success for Every Student, it will enhance teacher education, provide more support for teachers and students in their early years, focus on fundamental skills, providing more supports for parents and students, and ensure greater accountability.
“As today’s national assessment results demonstrate, 86 percent of students in Manitoba are meeting or exceeding expectations,” Allum said. “However, clearly some students need additional support. We need to do better. We have a targeted plan that includes new supports for teachers and more resources for parents to help ensure that all our students excel.”
Allum said despite pressures to cut the number of teachers the province has and invoke larger class sizes, the NDP government will reject cuts that would hurt students. On Monday, the province announced it had hired 100 teachers this year alone.
Manitoba Progressive Conservative leader Brian Pallister weighed in on the report:
Read the full report below or click here.
