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Hello All,<br>
<br>
Thought you might like to see this. It's a request for the support for
a change in the English Language Arts curriculum in BC high schools to
include more Canadian literature (see details below). I checked with
Jean Baird and she is collecting messages of support from individuals
and organizations both within and outside BC. <br>
<br>
IMPORTANT: If you are interested in supporting the initiative, please
send your replies to Ms Baird, not to me or the discussion list.<br>
<br>
cheers, <br>
<br>
Kathy Chung<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Subject: </th>
<td>CanLit in BC secondary schools</td>
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Date: </th>
<td>Fri, 7 Dec 2007 12:50:59 -0800</td>
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>Jean Baird <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jeanbaird@SHAW.CA"><jeanbaird@SHAW.CA></a></td>
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Reply-To: </th>
<td>Canadian Literature / Litterature canadienne
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA"><CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA></a></td>
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA">CANLIT-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA</a></td>
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<br>
<br>
This initiative may be of interest (and concern) to those listserve
members living in BC
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">REQUEST FOR SUPPORT
FOR A CHANGE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM IN BRITISH COLUMBIA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Reply requested by
December 21, 2007<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Over the past few
years several national research studies have documented the<span
style="color: red;"> </span>lack of attention paid to Canadian
literature in Canadian schools. Currently our classrooms are dominated
by some British but predominately American novels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">A report for The
Writers’ Trust of Canada that was commissioned by the Canada Council
made a series of recommendations about what could be done to improve
the situation.</span><a style="" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span
style="">[1]</span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> Through ArtStarts
for Schools, a project is being developed and a group of stakeholders
has been identified and has met to address these recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Part of the work has
included a survey to BC teachers of English Language Arts. In that
survey completed at the end of October 2007, 97.8% of responding
teachers indicated that they think it is important to teach Canadian
literature in secondary schools. 88.9% indicated that<span
style="color: red;"> </span>they think more Canadian literature needs
to be taught.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Both the teachers and
the stakeholders noted that a key to achieving a higher presence for
CanLit in the classroom is <b><u>clear direction from the provincial
curriculum</u></b></span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">. Currently only
Saskatchewan has a mandated CanLit course, the grade 12 course.
Elsewhere in the country it is possible, and often probable, that a
student can graduate having never studied a Canadian novel during high
school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<p class="LOsub-bullet" style="margin-left: 0.3in; text-indent: 0in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;" lang="EN-CA"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">The BC Ministry of
Education has posted a draft of the new English Language Arts
Curriculum for grades 8 to 12. We will be taking the opportunity to
respond to the new curriculum and have suggested that in each year from
grade 8 to 12 each student should “read, both collaboratively and
independently, to comprehend a variety of literary texts, including <span
style="color: red;"><b>one or more significant works of Canadian
literature</b></span><b>.”<span style="color: red;"> </span></b></span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">The proposed
amendment allows for the study of a play, several short stories, a
collection of poetry or poetry by three or four different poets, one or
two novels, or work by Canadian literary critics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="LOsub-bullet" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: red;"
lang="EN-CA"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">We believe the
Ministry needs to know that the publishing and writing community,
parents, and educators are concerned about the decline of Canadian
literature in our schools. This is your chance to voice that opinion by
replying with your support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Please respond
indicating your support (to Jean Baird, email address below) with the
following information:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Name<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Contact information<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Position (i.e.,
writer, publisher, educator, parent)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">A formal response to
the draft with the above recommendation will be send to the Ministry of
Education and also to Premier Campbell and Shirley Bond, Minister of
Education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Please forward this
email to anyone who may be interested in supporting this curriculum
change<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Jean Baird<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">Consultant, ArtStarts
in Schools<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;">CanLit in BC Schools
Project<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="" id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1"
title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="">[1]</span></span></a>
The executive summary of the report is posted on the Canada Council
website at <a
href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/aud_access/di127234254927656250.htm">http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/aud_access/di127234254927656250.htm</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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