Students across the province are sitting down yet again to write a test that isn’t based on the BC curriculum, doesn’t count toward their report card, and takes away from valuable teaching and learning time in the classroom.

Research shows this test is not a reliable method of measuring an individual child’s progress—nor was it designed for this purpose.

So, why are they doing it?

Teachers have been on the record for more than a decade saying the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is not accurate or useful. The data collected from the test does not accurately reflect the meaningful learning that takes place in schools every day across the province.

There are better ways to examine how the BC school system meets the learning needs of individuals and groups. In fact, teachers are already engaged in meaningful and authentic assessment work all the time—it’s what they do.

When students are curious and invested in their learning, and when they have a trusting relationship with their teacher, assessment can be dynamic, individualized, and relevant. Imagine the difference between a child saying, “What’s on the test? I have to study!” compared to “I can take what I’ve learned in class, relate it to the real world, make a judgement on its impact, and then reflect on my learning.”

Teachers have always seen parents as partners in education. A child is best supported when parents and educators are both invested and involved in their learning and work alongside one another in the child’s interest. As such, both should be particularly attuned to the effects of broad-based standardized testing.

The FSA is not only an inaccurate reflection of aptitude, it’s also often inappropriately used to rank schools by organizations like the Fraser Institute, a notorious right-wing think tank. Teachers have long been wary of this type of ranking, as it undermines families’ feelings of belonging and pride in their school. Often, these rankings mislead parents into thinking that somehow the learning or curriculum at a low-ranked school is different or lacking, but in fact, that is never the case. All our public schools are beautiful places where deep and engaged learning happens. To insinuate otherwise is manipulative, unhelpful, and inaccurate. That’s why teachers were glad to hear that even the Fraser Institute has given up ranking secondary schools in BC. They have finally joined us in recognizing the inaccuracy of the data collected by the FSA.

There is a lot to be proud of in every public school across the province. Schools belong to all of us, and they represent the building of community, the expression of curiosity, and academic rigour. They set the stage for building a better world. Let’s not be distracted by the FSA and other rhetoric that pits parents and communities against one another.

Public schools are for everyone, and that’s truly something we can all believe in.