View From the Legislature

Last week Thursday, my department resumed the practice of releasing Grade 12 provincial test results by school division in Math and English Language Arts. This was last done in 1999 by the previous Progressive Conservative government, and I believe this information will be helpful in focusing the efforts of all of us working in the Education field, from teachers to department officials to administrators. In fact, I believe many Manitobans will find it surprising that this information was not available before now.

Our commitment to transparency, public engagement, and accountability are the reasons that our government believes that this information should have always continued to be shared, as it serves to benchmark student success and help each division set goals for improvement. I know that each division has its own challenges to address and that there are many factors that can effect student results, but without setting out where we are now, working toward improvement is more challenging. This is one more tool that can be used to support our students and teachers as we look to continue to improve the education system. Since 2016, the department has worked with school divisions to understand local and regional challenges with the Framework for Continuous Improvement, and how information can be shared to support higher achievement.

In addition to adding to transparency and setting goals, this information helps set the stage for the upcoming K-12 review that will launch in early 2019. We are genuinely hoping that every Manitoban who has an interest in the Education system participates with their feedback and ideas. In particular, I hope our educators and other stakeholders provide their advice and experience to the consultations. I hope that by releasing these results and perhaps others it will fuel public discussion during consultations about how we can make sure our students are achieving more, and by setting the standard of where we are, we can see where we want to be.