In three court cases: an Alberta school board's action was upheld in copying a response to the same parties copied in the original complainant's letter, because the complainant was requesting public scrutiny; an Alberta school board was faulted for not getting parents' consent before administering a questionnaire to elementary students; and school…

Describes the two-year systematic process by which the Saskatoon Catholic Board of Education formulated a mission statement. This grassroots policy development, based on principles of naturalistic inquiry and consensus building, comprised four stages: consultations with 70 small discussion groups representing all stakeholders, interpretation of…

The United Nations' Child Friendly Cities movement is committed to implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. School boards can participate by augmenting a safe physical environment with a policy environment that treats children with respect; encouraging meaningful participation in school governance; recognizing and addressing the…

A questionnaire completed by 138 principals indicated that fund-raising by pupils was extensive and was endorsed by parents, principals, and community organizations. The Toronto Board of Education subsequently adopted guidelines to ensure pupil safety in fund-raising outside school and to enhance the benefits of fund-raising, e.g., sharing,…

Outlines six basic competencies school boards should consider when selecting consultants to assist teachers in upgrading instructional techniques and content. Discusses requirements for school board-sponsored consultant training and development programs. (NEC)

Describes advantages and forms of cooperation between schools and the elderly community, including political support for schools, older adults as educational resources, change of attitude toward elderly, and school involvement in community education. (LFL)

Discusses the status of home schooling in Canada, pointing out the rapid expansion of the movement and the unresolved points of difference between schooling and the research findings used in its support. Urges full cooperation between schools and home schoolers. (JHZ)

The era of abundance for Canadian education is over. Issues concerning student rights, parent involvement, the teacher's role, and institutional leadership must be faced, if the goal of quality education is to be reached. For a French translation of this speech, see p12-19 of this issue of "Education Canada." (SJL)

Describes an interprovincial visitation program for school trustees and administrators from British Columbia and Ontario designed to help them deal more effectively with educational issues produced by multicultural societies. Discusses visitation programs as cost-effective means to broaden the knowledge and thereby increase the effectiveness of…

Twinning (or clustering) is the joining together of two or more (usually small) schools administered by one principal, in order to share resources and services. A survey of 104 of the 170 Ontario school boards examined prevalence of twinned schools, organization and administration of twinned schools, types of resources shared, and advantages and…

Describes the implementation of twinning (sharing administrative staff) in two Ontario elementary schools; the actions that the board of education undertook to monitor and assess the demonstration project; and a survey of parents and community members evaluating whether twinning was cost effective, improved program quality in the two schools, and…

Effective strategies for assisting Canadian Native communities to develop school boards included encouraging an unhurried adaptive learning process, providing guidance to achieve consensus, and allowing for an incubation period. Impediments to development included community members' avoidance of leadership roles, cross-cultural misunderstandings,…

Describes how Lambton County (Ontario) school board implemented activities to encourage equal opportunity for employees and students: delegating temporary management responsibility equally to male/female staff, standardizing procedures for and publicizing promotional opportunities, assigning classroom tasks by pursuing class lists without regard…

Interviews and teacher and principal surveys examined how Toronto (Canada) principals have responded to equity-based education initiatives. Describes barriers to implementation in secondary schools and offers strategies for making principals more effective in this area. Concludes that the principal's character and capacity to lead, combined with…

Following the deaths of two elementary school students in bus-related accidents in 1992, the Coroner of Quebec held extensive hearings investigating school bus safety and accident prevention. A subsequent report addressed responsibilities of government and school board officials to correct deficiencies in school bus services and provided…