Nunavut gets a D for its teaching of Canadian history

Nunavut gets a D for its teaching of Canadian history

"...After Quebec, British Columbia (B) placed second, followed by Yukon (B), Ontario (B), Manitoba (B-), Nova Scotia (C+), New Brunswick (C-) ) and Nunavut (D)...."

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Only Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia require students to pass at least one Canadian history class to earn a high-school diploma.

The other provinces and territories have mandatory social-science courses, but they typically contain only a touch of national history, the study says.

The institute reviewed courses that include Canadian history (grades 9 to 12) and evaluated each one on content, curriculum requirements and students' skill development. Points were also given for optional courses that are available.

Each province and territory was then given percentage and letter grades.

After Quebec, British Columbia (B) placed second, followed by Yukon (B), Ontario (B), Manitoba (B-), Nova Scotia (C+), New Brunswick (C-) ) and Nunavut (D).

Among its seven recommendations, the Dominion Institute said all Canadian students should be expected to have a core knowledge of 10 events and themes, including both World Wars and aboriginal history. It also called for the creation of a cross-country national history exam.

"It seems really worrying to me that a large number of students can graduate high school in P.E.I., in Alberta, in Newfoundland, without learning about the key events and the key people who shaped our country," Chalifoux said.

"That to me is a great failing of the education system in many provinces in Canada."

Quebec, home to deep nationalist roots and a sizable sovereigntist population, earned the highest score primarily because it's the only region that requires students to take two years of Canadian history.

Chalifoux praised Quebec's recently revamped history courses for grades 9 and 10, which he described as more "pan-Canadian" than in most provinces. ..."

"...The Dominion Institute launched the study after the results of its own recent surveys suggested that Canadians know little about their past.

For example, a national poll of 1,000 adults by the foundation taken in November found that two in five Canadians could not identify Sir John A. Macdonald as the country's first prime minister.

The Dominion Institute will post the full report Monday on its website (www.dominion.ca) as well as an online petition that calls for improvements to Canadian-history curricula.

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