Moving to Toronto
Oct 15th 2018, 4:46 pm
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2018
Location: priced out of Waterloo
Posts: 105
Re: Moving to Toronto
Be careful with Fraser Institute rankings, if that's what you're using. The Fraser Institute is a conservative-libertarian think tank that has a political axe to grind - generally speaking, one in favour of private schooling and against the public education system in the entirety of the concept. The rankings are a very blunt instrument and do not take into account the nature of the entry cohort into a school nor the "value add" component that is familiar to UK residents from the Ofsted school reporting system.
Oct 15th 2018, 7:47 pm
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: Moving to Toronto
Be careful with Fraser Institute rankings, if that's what you're using. The Fraser Institute is a conservative-libertarian think tank that has a political axe to grind - generally speaking, one in favour of private schooling and against the public education system in the entirety of the concept. The rankings are a very blunt instrument and do not take into account the nature of the entry cohort into a school nor the "value add" component that is familiar to UK residents from the Ofsted school reporting system.
As a case in point, the high school that my eldest attends, and that his two younger siblings will attend in turn, has relatively poor Fraser rankings. But that is in large part because it offers non-graduating programs to youths (and adults) with cognitive and neurological disabilities. For "normal" kids, it is also one of few public schools in the area that offers multiple advanced-placement programs, including the International Baccalaureate, and has a high rate of successful higher-education entry (and assorted scholarship awards) for its graduates; but that doesn't count for much with the Fraser, who would rather people sent their children to the (selective entry) fee-paying schools that abound in the area.
As a case in point, the high school that my eldest attends, and that his two younger siblings will attend in turn, has relatively poor Fraser rankings. But that is in large part because it offers non-graduating programs to youths (and adults) with cognitive and neurological disabilities. For "normal" kids, it is also one of few public schools in the area that offers multiple advanced-placement programs, including the International Baccalaureate, and has a high rate of successful higher-education entry (and assorted scholarship awards) for its graduates; but that doesn't count for much with the Fraser, who would rather people sent their children to the (selective entry) fee-paying schools that abound in the area.
I maintain that there is not the huge distinction between "good" and "bad" schools that you have in the UK.
The school your child attends will be determined by where you live ..... that is the school's catchment area. Usually there is little choice in crossing the boundaries of catchment areas, especially in elementary school.
Just as a matter of interest ......... we sometimes find that schools in so-called poor areas are actually better than schools in wealthier areas, because the teachers are more involved, there is more community involvement, etc.
