Subha Arulvarathan
Will the Grade 12's suffer?
Philip Luu
It ain't over...'til its over
Chery Chan
A Look at the Many Problems
Subha Arulvarathan
The graduating class of 2002-2003 is going to bigger than ever, with both Grade 12s and OACs graduating together in the following year. What does the future hold for them ?
In an attempt to adequately prepare students for the future, the Ontario education system was changed. In 1995, the Ontario government, under the leadership of Mike Harris, announced its plans for secondary school reform. The result was a four year program that was designed to cover the same amount of content as the five year program. The question arises: was this really a wise choice?
Many students are worried. They wonder if their grades are high enough to ensure a place in post-secondary education or if universities and colleges favour the OACs. "There is an atmosphere of tension this year," comments Helen Chow, an OAC student. "My classmates are really stressed out because they want to get the highest marks for university."
The Toronto Star stated that universities estimate the need to create more than 50,000 spaces to accommodate a 20% increase in students by 2004. Colleges expect 33,000 extra applicants. The Ontario University Application Centre enrolment projections have gone as far as saying that 21,000 "willing and qualified people" will not find a place in a university between 2003 and 2004. Disheartening facts that most students don't want to hear,
Not only that, guidance counselors have reported that cases of burnout, high stress and depression have increased due to the worry over post secondary education.
"I think students have been more stressed than usual about post secondary education. It's understandable. In universities like the University of Toronto, they pretty much said that they'll raise cut-off averages across the board by 5%," says John Stewart, a guidance counsellor at Jarvis.
Even the younger grades are starting to feel the pressure. "We are all in a state of constant burnout and exhaustion, trying to balance everything," says a female Grade 11 student.
It doesn't help that teachers aren't adequately prepared to teach the new curriculum. A lack of textbooks is only one problem. Students also face an inconsistency in grading since few teachers have the required training to follow the grading system outlined by the Ministry of Education. Not only that, a lack of funding results in the merging of programs under major departments, whose heads often don't have the expertise in those areas.
Luckily, this hasn't happened at Jarvis yet," says Anastasia Gotsis, Head of the History Department. "Department heads are not only required to have teaching experience but to be a specialist in the knowledge and teaching of their particular area. Jarvis students are [also] fortunate to have capable, competent teachers who are doing their best to manage the new curriculum."
Students, however, feel that this is often not the case. "Most teachers, I feel are trying to prepare us, but I think it's still difficult for students, especially Grade 12s because we're being treated like OACs," says Lena Feng, a Grade 12 student.
Universities are facing similar problems. A lack of experienced staff, bigger classes and the lack of resources, which affects libraries, computers and labs, due to poor funding. The Halton Social Planning Council has published that fewer than 10% of post-secondary institutions have stated that the current and projected operating grants were enough to handle the double cohort.
There are also rising concerns of tuition and the decrease of scholarships. "It'll be more competitive for scholarships but universities have said that they will invest more money to make up for it," says Stewart. However, the Halton Social Planning Council stated that tuition has increased by 60% between 1996-2001 and will continue to increase next year.
"I'm kinda depending on OSAP for my financial aid. It won't affect my choices, but I know that it will affect whether I'll get into the program I choose or not," says a Grade 12, female student. Thus, many students are depending on OSAP to cover their costs. Yet, the Ontario English Teachers Catholic Association has announced that students who depend on this are looking forward to a debt in the range of $40,000.
The government continues to state it will work with post-secondary institutions to minimize the effects of the double cohort. It has also stated how it is helping students in gaining equal opportunities and in being better prepared to be productive members of society. However, with all the flaws in the education plan, how can anybody believe that is true?
Will the Grade 12's suffer?
Philip Luu
In September 2003, universities will be enrolling students from two graduating classes, the Grade 12's and the OAC's. This means that it is twice as hard to get into university than in the past.
Grade 12 students are wondering if they have a fair chance to get in compared to the OAC's and if they're even prepared for university. The problem is nobody knows for sure. This seems to add a lot of stress for the Grade 12's who are worried that they won't get in. In the October 14th edition of the Toronto Star, Elaine Carey wrote an article about the double cohort and how it is an issue that raises stress for students. In the article a student says, "School life is far too stressful as it is. With this (the double cohort) it seems almost unbearable at times." The article also says, "Many Grade 12 students say it isn't fair that they must compete with OAC students who've had an extra year of schooling to prepare."
Since the new curriculum only lasts for 4 years, the Grade 12's have a much tougher task of achieving high marks compared to the OAC's. The Grade 12 students are the first students to learn under the new curriculum. They had to learn while the teachers were still adapting to the new curriculum, so they might not have had the best that the teachers could offer.
Students in the new curriculum also must complete 40 hours of volunteer work in order to graduate, something OAC's don't have, while also trying to complete loads of homework to learn the same things as the OAC's. A male Grade 12 student said, "I'm worried about my marks because I have to do my homework and finish my volunteer work. It's a real killer because I have to work extra hard to try to make it to university and it is really stressful because sometimes I just can't get enough sleep because of homework and volunteer work which affects my marks."
Universities also check for students' consistency during high school. For the OAC's, they usually take a look at their Grade 11 and 12 marks with the best six OAC marks that were submitted in. But for the Grade 12's, universities check their entire high school transcript, which means they look at their Grade 9 marks all the way to Grade 12 in order to look for consistency in the students. This is something that can really make or break the Grade 12's acceptance into university.
In the October 17th edition of the Globe and Mail, it said that only 32 per cent of students who were under the new curriculum had achieved 16 credits in their first two years compared to the 58 per cent in the old curriculum.
William Lin, a former Jarvis CI student who has experienced the old curriculum and is currently in the new curriculum said, "Many Grade 12's will suffer in this area because a lot of them weren't prepared by the amount of work that they were going to receive. They were pushed too fast and they did not have the previous knowledge of the subjects that they were taking. So that is why a lot of them struggled in their first and second years."
OAC's also had 5 years to learn as much as they could to prepare for university, while the Grade 12's had to cram everything the OAC's learn into just 4 years.
A male Grade 12 Jarvis student said, "I think that the teachers at Jarvis tried to do their best at trying to apply the new curriculum on us but it's still pretty hard competing against the OAC's because they got extra time to set their goals and I have to rush through the 4 years. The information seemed like it just came at me in every angle. It's very stressful."
This seems to be how all Grade 12's feel about their preparation for university. Andy Ye, a male Grade 12 student in Jarvis, said, " I don't think I'm ready for university because the standards are raised and the teachers are pushing so much work in so little time." It is not just academic preparations that Grade 12's are worried about, they are also worried about mental preparation. A female Grade 12 student added, "I'm not ready mentally and I don't feel that I'm mature enough for university. Also I don't think the Grade 12's academic skill can compare with the OAC's, just because they have one more year of experience compared to us."
Only time will tell if the Grade 12's will be treated equally with the OAC's and if the new curriculum will prepare them for university.
It ain't over...'til its over
Chery Chan
The pressure is on to give the academic performance of a lifetime, and student tensions are running high.
The admission requirements for most Ontario universities found in Info (a guide to Ontario universities for secondary school students) shows that cut-off averages can range from 70% to high 80's and even 90's. The figures shown will not necessarily be used. Guidance counselors and university admissions officers have encouraged students to aim for the high end of all ranges, if not higher.
Generally, the minimum requirements that students must meet to be considered for university acceptance is the completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, a minimum overall average of 60% and six OAC or 12 U or M courses according to The Knowledge Track, which is an update on the double cohort prepared by the Council of Ontario Universities.
It is also important to keep in mind that not all programs require only academic criteria for admission. For university programs such as Theatre or Journalism, non-academic criteria may be important. If you are applying to such a program, look closely at what the university is asking of you, whether it is an audition or a portfolio of your work. In these instances, it's a good idea to check the university websites, information brochures, or even to talk to someone at the university for more information so that you may start on the application process.
"I would encourage students to be really serious about gathering information for each institution," says Ms. Jordan, who is the head of the Guidance department at Jarvis." It's very important to go to the fairs and the university visits [at our school]."
Choosing the university you want to attend is a big decision, and shouldn't be made lightly. Go to the fairs and university visits ask any questions you may have, and make an effort to go to the open houses hosted by the universities.
Ms. Jordan also advises students to " consider going further afield and have a back-up plan." Don't discard colleges simply because they're colleges. They are great preparation for the world of work. Furthermore, some colleges have degree-granting partnerships with universities. In these programs, you start your studies at college before finishing your final years at university.
There is also the option of taking a year off to work or participate in an apprenticeship program. University education is expensive, so if you take a year off, you can have some more money saved up to pay for your post-secondary education before you apply in fall 2003.
It is also possible to defer you application, but most schools will want you to re-apply.
Students at Jarvis will be applying to universities on-line this year. Passwords were given out at the end of November, as guidance counselors visited Grade 12 and OAC home forms to ensure that all information regarding course selections for the current year, previous marks (particularly senior courses), and credits earned to date are correct.
The deadline for all applications is January 15, 2003, but Ms. Jordan is urging students to have had a sense of where they will be going by mid-November.
"Don't limit your choices to 3 schools," she says. In the double cohort year, it is important to keep your options open. That way, you will increase your chances of getting into university.
The first three choices for applications are $80. After that, each additional choice is $25. Application fees can be paid either by credit card online or by sending a cheque to the application centre.
Since marks won't be submitted until February, it's okay to breathe a little easier for now.
Take Andrew La Rose, and OAC students, for instance. "By the end of the year, I'm going to be flipping out about university. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting my work done."
In any case, whether you're in Grade 12 or OAC, it's not as impossible to get into university as it may seem. Yes, it's going to be difficult and very competitive, but if you're willing to work hard, keep your options open, and have a back-up plan, you'll be just fine.
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