Australia
In Australia "The Schools of the Future" program was established
to be in place by 1995. Australian charter schools involve a contract
between an individual school and the state education minister. This contract
specifies the nature of funding and method of accounting. Many support
services in Australian charter schools are provided through other contracts
with individual providers. Like New Zealand, schools in Australia are
self-managed and give added power to the principal. A Board of Governors
is responsible for the development of a broad curriculum which adheres
to standards provided by the government. Schools in Australia are based
on a system similar to Alberta's Edmonton Model from the early 1980s.37
Conclusion
"Every child wants to learn," she said. "Every child
is able to learn, some fast, some slow. There may be delay but there is
not defeat if the child falls to learn, it is because the teacher has
failed to teach."
Mae Carden, The Parents Guide to Alternatives In Education
The New Learning Project recognizes that alternatives in the Canadian
education system are gaining popularity as more and more students, parents,
and educators become aware of better ways to learn. It is apparent that
traditional public education models are simply not meeting the diversity
of needs among students. People want schools to offer more services for
students, families, and communities. This means that schools should offer
social services such as counselling for students and their families to
help create strong learning environments both at home and in school.
Some new approaches are being utilized in Canada in order to respond
to the needs of today's society. We are beginning to see provincial legislation
that allows for unique school models and enhanced educational opportunities.
For example, charter schools in Alberta and home schooling across the
country are gaining popularity among students, parents and teachers who
are looking at a variety of methods for meeting a diversity of educational
needs. Also, programs such as distance education, school advisory councils,
and mini courses are helping to provide options within the existing system.
With such new models springing up and existing ones receiving a new following,
indications are that the overall education system will be better able
to offer students what they need: opportunities to grow and develop within
an up-to-date and responsive education environment.
The research done for this
project indicates that although a wide range of alternatives already exists
in Canada, accessibility is a problem for interested students, parents,
and communities. Geographical location, inflexible school board policies,
and a lack of legislation can make utilizing alternatives extremely difficult.
The New Learning project maintains that it is vital that Canadian education
systems make efforts to motivate people, meet the needs of students, parents,
and communities and encourage diversity. Educational alternatives in Canada
are attempting to add to this diversity and thus satisfy the associated
needs. It must be recognized that different educational environments work
for different people, and no single form of education is suitable for
everyone. New Learning alternatives offer viable education options to
parents and students and creative challenges to the mainstream education
systems.
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