Open AccessThe Limits to Reform: A Critical Discussion of the Saskatoon Public School Board's Assessment Controversy
Author(s) -
Robert Jean LeBlanc
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
in education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1927-6117
DOI - 10.37119/ojs2011.v17i2.80
Subject(s) - curriculum , critical discourse analysis , government (linguistics) , socialization , gee , public administration , sociology , modernization theory , political science , pedagogy , social science , law , politics , linguistics , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , ideology , generalized estimating equation
This article presents a critical discussion of the controversy surrounding the perceived changes to the Saskatoon Public School Board’s assessment policy in September 2010. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2005; Gee, 2005) and a critical framework of curriculum reform (Apple, 1996, 2000), an analysis of media representations, government statements, and curriculum documents suggests that the general public outcry, the Saskatoon Public School Board’s reaction to the controversy, and the government’s response exemplify a tacit understanding of the socialization purposes of school in preparing students for the world of labour. This article further examines the influence of "conservative modernization" (Apple, 1996; Lankshear & Gee, 1997; Gee, Hull, & Lankshear, 1996) on Saskatchewan educational policies and the capacity of Saskatchewan schools to innovate.Keywords: critical discourse analysis; critical framework; curriculum reform; socialization; educational policies