Grade 4 students in B.C. are among the worlds top readers, according to the results of an international study touted by the Ministry of Education. B.C. was recognized as one of the top seven jurisdictions in the world by the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, or PIRLS. Forty-five countries and nine Canadian provinces participated in the 2011 study.
B.C. students achieved an average score significantly above both the international and Canadian averages, according to a ministry press release. In addition to testing reading skills, PIRLS included questionnaires for students, teachers, principals and parents.
The higher levels of enjoyment and self-confidence in reading reported by B.C. students translated into higher achievement scores. Parents in B.C. reported engaging in high levels of literacy-related activities with their children before they started school and this translated into higher levels of student achievement.
Approximately 325,000 students worldwide took part in the survey, including 23,000 Canadian students from 1,000 schools. In B.C., 2,647 students from 148 schools participated.
The ministry noted it recently appointed Maureen Dockendorf as superintendent of reading to work with school districts to improve reading skills among young students. The ministry claimed it has dedicated an additional $10.7 million to advance early reading for kindergarten to Grade 3 students, and that it spends more than $28 million in literacy programs annually.
The top six countries ahead of B.C. in average reading achievement were Hong Kong, Russia, Finland, Singapore, Northern Ireland and the United States. Canada, as a whole, ranked 15th.
Bucks to be a barber
Vancouver resident Gregory Shea is one of 83 B.C. students living in subsidized housing who is receiving a B.C. Housing education award to help him further his education, the ministry responsible for housing announced earlier this month. The 54-year-old single father will use his $1,000 full-time studies award toward equipment expenses and tuition fees for courses in old-school barbering. Shea aims to rent a chair in a busy shop, become a master barber and eventually run his own classic barbershop. Anyone aged 17 to 64 years old living in provincially subsidized housing or receiving rent subsidy through B.C. Housings Rental Assistance Program can apply for $750 bursaries and $1,000 awards for post-secondary education and training. For more information, search for B.C. Housing education award online.
Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi
