It’s report card week in local high schools, but a move by the North Vancouver School District to “phase out” the honour roll is getting a failing grade from some parents.
Traditionally, the honour roll has been a way to publicly recognize students who achieve top academic marks. For some students, it’s been a goal to strive for.
Unbeknownst to many parents, a move has been afoot for the last year to rid schools of these pesky pieces of paper.
The roll has already been dropped for younger high school grades. Some schools will scrap it entirely by next year, in favour of other types of recognition.
That’s all very well, but it calls to mind the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The honour roll doesn’t harm anyone. It doesn’t cost much.
And for some families, that particular recognition – a public one most understand is short hand for academic success – is important.
Surely there were ways to revise it, if needed, without ditching it.
Public reaction has not been laudatory.
For some parents it seems the education system is making yet another ideological change over which they had no say and about which they weren’t consulted.
In contrast, the West Vancouver School District is keeping its honour roll – likely because the district knows the distinction is important to many families and that the district’s public schools compete directly with its private ones.
There may be a symbolic importance in scrapping the honour but the change is unneeded and seems to benefit no one.
Despite the “eduspeak” that permeates such decisions, it’s likely more families will see it as a loss than an improvement.
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