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| Last updated at 2:20 PM on 06/01/09 |
New high school course focuses on province  
The Telegram
A new social studies course for high school students in the province will focus solely on Newfoundland and Labrador’s history, culture and current affairs.
The development and implementation of Newfoundland and Labrador Studies 2205 is the result of $900,000 in funding by the provincial government. The course is in the final year of a two-year pilot and will be fully implemented in September.
“Up until now, there has been no course specifically geared toward issues affecting Newfoundland and Labrador,” Education Minister Joan Burke said. “It’s important we give our students the opportunity to learn not just about our history, but about how decisions we make today affect the future. And that is exactly what this course delivers.”
Newfoundland and Labrador Studies 2205 is designed as a Level II course and fulfills the Canadian Studies graduation requirement. It is organized around four key themes — culture, fishery and economic diversification, governance, and sustainability.
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06/01/09
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Concerned parent from Newfoundland writes: Wouldn't it have been better if the government put the $900,000 in better use by making improvements in the air quality of our schools! What is the point in adding a new course for the students when the air quality of our schools is so poor!?
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 3:24 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Peter from NL writes: Where will this material come from and who is controlling the spin?
Is the fishery falling under history? Who will be blamed for the continued loss of our groundfish stocks?
Current affairs - who will be responsible for that?
What's the spin on confederation?
How about the Upper Churchill?
Where can I find the course material?
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 4:30 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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s Williams from NL writes: I graduated in 1986 and we did a course in high school called Newfoundland Culture...it focused on our province.
Did the government have to spend $900,000 to do what was done 22 years ago? They could have just updated some of the current information.
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 4:43 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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sandy foxx from nl writes: great stuff ...it was obvious that during the recent elections we all needed a good course in our own political culture.
now, make this course a public exam course, thus, givin' 'er a soundbone.
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 5:07 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Donald Pelley from Fredericton, NB writes: Anyone like to purchase an old grade 5 Newfoundland history book, still has the wire back and brown covers. Only used 2 years in grade 5. Oh, well, I guess there's been a bit of history since 1953. Go for it!!!
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 5:30 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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aubrey smith from GFW, NL writes: It's about time our kids learned something about their history, geography and culture .Only in literature was there any significant NL material for the past few decades after we went through the classical British Lit and then the American Lit .
All I can recall re NL materials in the 1950's was a little Grade Five( ?) book on Newfoundland and I suppose some reference in Donald Dickie's Great Adventure , a Canadian history garde six (? ) text.
That new NL emphasis paired with a study of current affairs will serve our children well .It serves little purpose to see the world if you have no basis for comparison .Having seen a bit of it myself , I can assure you will want to return to this island in the sea , but after the new course material , you 'll know why you want to return .
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 5:37 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Mark from ON writes: Up until now, there has been no course specifically geared toward issues affecting Newfoundland and Labrador
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I still have my textbook from Cultural Heritage 1201, a compulsory course in grade ten.
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 6:07 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Robert Tucker from Halifax, NS writes: After having been a teacher , a Program Specialist for Social Studies, a member of various Social Studies groups at the provincial, a former member of the provincial high school studies groups, it is great to see a course once agin at the Social Studies core based on the province. The old Newfoundland culture course tried to focus on the province, but failed to fulfill the objectives slated for the course. Some districts/teachers couldn't agree if the this was a culture course or not.
The problems related to implementation/ sucess of such a course related the focus, the level of training for teachers, attainability of the resource material for such a course, and whether or not all students have to take such a course. Having a course that fulfills the Canadian Studies compent for high school will do nothing to help all students know about their province if all students do not have to enroll in this course.
The case of Ontario where not all students have to do a small component for the Canadian History course, and where Ontario students know little about Canada's history should be guide for educators who are resposible the sucess of this new course.
Lets look a the reality of such a course not just the political aspects of it! A lot of work on the implementation side has to be done! Go for it!
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 8:08 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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W McLean from ON writes: I was wary of the idea of a course that ''will focus solely on Newfoundland and Labrador’s history, culture and current affairs'', especially in the current climate in which numerous popular political myths — blatanty, objectively verifiable falsehoods — not only abound, but are given official sanction by The Administration.
Aubrey Smith, though, referring to ''this island in the sea'', makes me think that as long as this course has a very strong geographical component it might not be all bad.
The PROVINCE is not an island.
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 8:15 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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PJ from NL writes: I graduated in 1990, and in Grade 10 we did a course called Newfoundland Culture. It was mandatory in order to graduate. So this statement by Joan Burke (Up until now, there has been no course specifically geared toward issues affecting Newfoundland and Labrador.) is erroneous.
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 8:53 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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ndintoronto from ON writes: I graduated from high school in 1993, at which time Cultural Heritage was a required Level I course. Not too long after, the requirement was dropped, as did enrollment in and offerings of the course. It is my understanding that only 2 credits in Canadian Studies are required for graduation. With the new Newfoundland and Labrador Studies course being worth two credits, it makes it possible to graduate without any courses in Canadian issues (beyond the Newfoundland and Labrador context). I think our students can (and perhaps should) benefit from both, as it used to be...
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| Posted 06/01/2009 at 11:18 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Amazed from NL writes: I did this in high school as well, I'm glad it's back. Seeing as we have so many teenage girls in St. John's talking like Paris Hilton who most likely have not lived in California, some appreciation of how unique and great NL is is needed. We are a very unique place in the world based on my travels and we should celebrate and be proud of it.
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| Posted 07/01/2009 at 12:17 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Dan osborne from victoria, bc writes: Well I think it is about time that we teach about where we came from. We newfoundlanders are a proud people. They say that quebec is special due to it language and culture, well we have our own culture and language and we need to teach our young what it is to be a newfoundlander
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| Posted 07/01/2009 at 1:08 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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