(Gerard Kennedy, left)
A conference on March 1st at York University turned the searchlight to the ways in which education is changing as it faces such challenges as involving local communities, accommodating diversity, and coping with educational reforms and cuts to programs.
The conference, "Expanding Paradigms: What is Education Anyway?", brought together education students, scholars and practitioners from across Canada and the United States to discuss emerging issues, trends and approaches in education and teaching practices.
The keynote address was given by Ontario MPP and education critic Gerard Kennedy (Lib – Parkdale-High Park), who spoke about, "Public Education In Ontario: A System Under Attack". He provided a critical overview of the current state of education in Ontario.
There were numerous panels and roundtables touching on a variety of topics, including alternative education (educating street youth, learning spaces in museums and zoos, outdoor/environmental education) and multiculturalism and anti-racist education (how diasporic conditions impact learning, and the disproportionate number of minority students streamed into sports, often at the expense of academic progress).
The conference was sponsored by the Graduate Program in Education. For more information check the Media Relations Web site at http://www.yorku.ca/ycom/release/archive/022703.htm.