As it is such a key institution in society - to which everyone at one point or another belongs (i.e., as a student) - almost everyone has a perspective on K-12 education, including what teachers should teach, what students should learn, and many other questions.
Students have views about the education they are receiving. Parents have ambitions for their children's education. Teachers have views about how they should teach. Business people have views as to how schools should prepare students for the world of work. The list goes on…
Posed as a series of questions, below is a non-exhaustive list of controversial issues related to K-12 education:
- should there be homework in the elementary grades?
- should teachers have the freedom to teach what they want to?
- should there be rigorous testing of student learning throughout the school year?
- how should 'sex ed' be taught in schools (or should it be taught at all)?
- should funding for science instruction be privileged over funding for arts instruction?
- should students be grouped in classes according to age, grade level, or some other criteria?
- should students who are identified as having an exceptionality learn alongside their peers without exceptionalities or should they be taught separately?
- should students be 'streamed' in high school into 'applied' and 'academic' streams based on their academic abilities?
- etc.
Reflect on the above list in preparation for completing your second assignment in the course which is explained in detail on the next topic page.
