Charles Ungerleider, Professor Emeritus, The University of British Columbia
[permission to reproduce is granted
if authorship is acknowledged]
The absence
of school in the Spring of 2020 and the ‘return to school’ this Fall are producing enormous anxiety for students, their parents, educators, governments,
and employers. Have I missed anyone? I hope not because everyone has a stake in
what happens in public education. In the absence of a disruption, many people do not
think twice about the importance of schools. I have lamented society’s
collective indifference on many occasions, going so far as to label it “malign
neglect.”
COVID-19 has
made almost everyone pay attention to the many contributions of public schooling
to society. At a basic level there is the custodial function of schools.
Schools provide a safe environment for students freeing their parents and
guardians for other pursuits. Many of the individuals collectively referred to
as “essential workers” could not have carried out their responsibilities if
schools had not made provision for the care of their children. In fact, the
absence of schooling for most children, youth, and young adults has made people
who do not have children or grand-children appreciate the contribution that
schools make to the economy.
Since the
end of the second world war, schools have been regarded as ‘engines of the economy.’
The importance of equipping students with fundamental knowledge has been
recognized for its contribution to what some call ‘human capital development.’
While schools do not provide workplace training, they develop literacy,
numeracy, and a suite of other capacities upon which employment training, higher
education depend, and innovation depend.
In a previous blog post, I expressed my concern about the
impact of lost learning time for three categories of students: students for
whom English is a second language, special needs students, and students from low
income families. I am not alone in having this concern. The parents of these
children are very troubled. They worry about their child’s successful
transition to the responsibilities of adulthood, a key element of which is
economic self-sufficiency. Teachers are concerned out of compassion and out of
the recognition that closing any gap produced by lost learning time will fall
upon them. If we stop and think about it, we should all be concerned.
Compassionate concern for our fellow human beings is the sign of a strong and
cohesive society. But, if that is not sufficiently persuasive, consider the
economic consequences of a population that requires additional resources to try
to close the gap, and, if the gap remains, for the social services they will
need throughout their adult lives.
That brings
me to a contribution that is often overlooked – and has received little
attention during the COVID-19 pandemic: the contribution of schooling to the
learning of social norms and values. By tethering successive generations of
students to the core values, beliefs and social norms shared by a strong and
healthy society, Canada’s education system – especially elementary and
secondary schools – equips us to withstand the turbulence and discontinuities
that are caused by events such as COVID-19. Social cohesion is among the most
important contribution that schools make.
In another blog post, I wrote that online learning during
COVID-19 was a failed natural experiment that tested the elasticity of public
schooling. Technology did not – and cannot be – a substitute for the lack of
human instruction that occurs in congregate settings. Online learning as it
occurred in the Spring of 2020 placed unreasonable demands upon teachers,
students, and families. Continuing in the same vein during the Fall will affect
the long-term development of most students. But even improved online learning cannot
substitute for the learning of shared norms and values that occurs when
students occupy the same physical location. It is in schools that students are
taught by a teacher who models the norms and values we share, explains them to
students, provides the opportunity to practice them, and gives feedback to encourage
improvement. Learning to work and play well with others is central to public
schooling and essential for a cohesive society.
COVID-19
disrupted one of the most important stabilizing social influences. People have
come to appreciate that Canada’s public schools contribute to Canada’s
resilience. Like a gyroscope, public schools provide navigational stability. A
permanent disruption to public schooling would have a tragic impact on Canadian
society.