Tuesday, April 24, 2012

What's The Frequency Kenneth?

PhysicsFor(Not)Dummies
PublicSchoolVille


Well, well, well.

Whadd'ya know.

When it comes to performance in first year University Physics at least, it looks like a public school education beats a private school education, hands-down in the wave pool.

Kate Hammer had the story in yesterday's Globe. Here's her doppler effect(ive) lede:

A new study is raising questions about the information parents commonly use to chose a school for their children, especially in provinces like Alberta and British Columbia, where families commonly shop around for an education.


The authors looked at the academic performance of more than 4,500 students in a first-year physics class at the University of British Columbia between 2002 and 2006. They found that those who had graduated from public schools in the Metro Vancouver area outperformed their peers arriving from private schools and school districts in more remote parts of the province.
The findings, which were published last week in the International Journal of Science Education, contradict some commonly held beliefs, including that independent (i.e. private) schools give students an academic head start while those in low-income urban schools fall behind.....


So.....

The Fraser Institute's solution?

Don't know for sure, but if, suddenly they came out with the following missive to 'level' the playing field for all those poor kids at private schools with the not-so-poor-parents that fill the FI's coffers every year I, for one, would not be surprised:

"Privatize all the Universities!"

Ha!


______
Then again, maybe I shouldn't be giving them any ideas....

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