Noted author and educator, Alfie Kohn, has been invited by the Vancouver District Parent’s Advisory Council, in cooperation with the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers Association and the Vancouver School Board, to speak with parents on October 19th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Macgee Secondary School Auditorium. There is no charge for this event. Alfie Kohn will speak on the pitfalls of standardized testing.

Alfie Kohn will also be on the CBC radio show the Early Edition with host Rick Cluff Thursday morning, October 19th.

On October 5, 2006, the Deputy Minister of Education sent a ‘clarification’ on the school fees court decision. Read the letter here.

Additional information can be found on the BCSTA web site. School_fees_V3_Oct03-06.pdf

FROM: BCTF web page. The Supreme Court of BC has released a decision re-affirming that the BC School Act, Section 82, prohibits schools from the charging of fees for materials that are required in courses leading to graduation. Greater Victoria school trustee John Young filed a petition to stop all school fees in BC’s public schools. The BCTF calls on the government to adequately fund the system so that students and their families do not face user fees. “All students should have access to the education experiences that help them grow and learn, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay,” says BCTF President Jinny Sims.