News

IPE/BC is an independent, non-partisan organization, however we recognize that IPE/BC Associates and guest authors hold a range of views and interests relative to public schools, education issues, and the political landscape in BC. Perspectives is an opportunity for Associates and others to share their ideas in short, accessible essays.

Public School Music Education Deserves a Standing Ovation – And More Funding

May 22, 2025

By Louise Herle

When people talk about ‘important school subjects’ music education is often treated like a tambourine: a necessary component of the concert but easily dismissed if not shaken with enthusiasm. At budget meetings music programs are too often first to be reduced or cut. When we consider music education superfluous, we disregard it at our peril. Fulsome music education programs contribute to sound foundational education curricula. Provincial governments – via their ministry of education and school boards – would be seen to better provide for students were they to ensure quality, fully-funded, free, and accessible music education, regardless of students’ postal code or their families’ household income.

1. Music Makes Us Smarter

Research repeatedly shows that music education activates more brain areas in students than almost any other activity. Students use visual-spatial reasoning while reading music notes and engage fine motor skills while playing an instrument. When they learn to listen to music critically, they activate memory, pattern recognition, and math skills. Music education students also exhibit advanced language development and stronger executive functioning skills – like planning, organizing, following instructions and controlling inhibitions – essential skills for managing daily life. Music education strengthens working memory, cognitive flexibility (easily shift from one academic subject to another), self-monitoring (observe, evaluate and check work for errors) and task initiation (practice, avoid procrastination).

2. Music Teaches Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence

Music education allows students to access and express emotions that they may not otherwise have words or actions for. It helps them to manage their emotions. It also helps students to feel and to understand others’ emotions. When students play in an ensemble, they learn to listen – not simply hear – and they learn to wait for their turn. They learn to support others, and to create and enjoy the harmony that is realized in teamwork. These are life skills that make such students a better friend, partner, co-worker, and citizen. Music education has been shown to teach students to navigate social interactions and resolve conflicts in a positive way, to be more self-aware, and to be more empathetic. They read social cues and thrive.

3. Music Is a Group Project

In music ensembles every student plays a part; the tuba player matters just as much as the lead trumpet. The second violinist may not have the spotlight solo, but they sustain the harmony. The student who plays the triangle enhances the overall sound. Group music projects (writing songs, talent shows, forming bands) offer opportunities for creative expression, communication, and high morale. They foster collaboration, responsibility, and humility. No one can opt out without the whole group noticing. Teamwork and synergy rule.

4. Yes, There Are Legitimate Careers in Music!

We have all heard the tired expression the ‘…starving artist”. Music education and the music industry offer vast career opportunities, from composition and performance to production, music therapy, technician, sound design, music scores for film, designing music festivals and concerts, repairing instruments, luthier. Music education students may also work as sound engineers, public relations industry experts or musician promoters. Musicians are lifelong learners; they develop transferable skills that employers seek: self discipline, creativity, time management, problem-solving, and public speaking to name a few. Life is richer with musicians, song writers, composers, conductors, music director, DJs, sound engineers, audio engineers, talent managers, booking agents, and teachers!

5. Music Connects Us to Culture, History, and Each Other

Music education students develop an appreciation for a variety of cultures and histories by studying composers and international music. They study spirituals, protest songs and ballads that have been passed down through generations. Diverse styles such as jazz, classical, country, soul, singing, reggae, opera, folk, pop, rock, hip-hop, rhythm & blues, EDM (electronic dance music) are all part of a proper music education curriculum. These experiences show students who we are, where we have been, and who we can become. Music is a universal language; it transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries and connects us.

6. Some Students Stay in School Only Because of Music Class

For many students, especially those who struggle academically or socially, music class is the reason they go to school. Music class is where they truly engage; they find their passion, their people, and their voice. They find meaning, humour and connection. Reducing or eliminating funding for music education potentially removes a lifeline. Music class inspires confidence and creates belonging. It offers students a chance to succeed outside sometimes rigid constructs of desks, keyboards, pens and paper. Schools with strong arts programs tend to have higher graduation rates, increased student attendance and increased positive community engagement (students practise instruments after school instead of hanging out in a mall). Music help students manage their stress. Since we believe that every student deserves their best opportunity to thrive and succeed, music education programs must be viewed as key components of the overall curriculum.

7. Finale

A music teacher in BC public schools for 30 years, I worked at three schools in order to secure full-time status. I taught – and wrote report cards for – over 350 students, three times each year. I conducted five choirs, three bands and taught general Music K-grade seven. That meant three different staff meetings, innumerable parent-teacher meetings, eight festival entries and countless school concerts. My assigned ‘classrooms’ were school gyms, libraries and when lucky, portables. One school year, my meagre budget meant using fishing line to replace ukulele strings; a durable but not melodious remedy. Lunch ‘breaks’ were usually spent driving to the next school. Programs can devolve from quality to quantity; thirty minutes of music per week does not equate quality music education. Public school music education needs to be reconsidered as essential for brains, hearts, and our future, rather than a luxury or bonus that only students in private schools can access (look at a brochure for any private school and you will always see classes for stringed instruments and arts).

Louise Herle is a member of the Sunshine Coast Retired Teachers’ Association and the BCRTA where she currently serves on the Membership and Communications Committees. A graduate of University of Regina (Music), Université Laval, Québec (Linguistics), UBC (B.Ed) and Simon Fraser University (M.Ed), she taught grades K-12 and Adult Ed in Saskatchewan, Quebec and British Columbia. Louise worked on many BCTF committees and served as President, Sunshine Coast Teachers’ Association, for seven years. Louise enjoys teaching piano lessons, playing fiddle music with her grandfather’s violin in Celtic and Bluegrass groups, and playing her French Horn in a Community Orchestra. 

IPE/BC is an independent, non-partisan organization, however we recognize that IPE/BC Associates and guest authors hold a range of views and interests relative to public schools, education issues, and the political landscape in BC. Perspectives is an opportunity for Associates and others to share their ideas in short, accessible essays.

Beyond the gap: The need for accountable education funding that demonstrates that society values inclusion

April 10, 2025

By Andrée Gacoin

In British Columbia, school districts have an obligation to provide a meaningful education to all students who arrive at their doors, including those with disabilities and diverse educational needs. As stated by the Supreme Court of Canada, inclusive education service is not a “dispensable luxury” but instead is “the ramp that provides access to the statutory commitment to education made to all children in British Columbia.”[i]

The Ministry of Education and Child Care’s policy manual for the provision of inclusive education services outlines a “continuous and flexible” process for identifying students with disabilities and diverse needs and then providing the necessary supports.[ii]  Broadly, a student with observed exceptionalities in learning and/or behaviour should be referred to a school-based team. This is a team of teachers and other professionals (e.g., counsellors, psychologists, speech and language pathologists) who come together to discuss and problem-solve how to support specific students and the classroom teacher.[iii]  Teams may request further assessments (e.g., psycho-educational testing) which are used to assign students to Ministry-defined inclusive education categories. These categories are then used to determine supplemental funding needed by the district.

Unfortunately, the reality is that the funding provided to school districts to provide inclusive education services is woefully inadequate. In addition to core operational funding (which is primarily based on the number of students enrolled in a district in a particular year), the Ministry of Education and Child Care allocates supplementary funding for inclusive education based on a per-pupil funding amount for only some inclusive education categories. For example, schools receive supplemental funding for the number of students with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or who have Moderate/Profound Intellectual Disabilities.[iv]  However, school districts do not receive additional funding for other identified needs, such as learning disabilities, students requiring moderate behavior supports, or enrichment opportunities for students who are gifted. Furthermore, the funding that is provided is “block funding,” meaning that a lump sum is provided to the district and is not specifically allocated for particular students or supports.

Every year, BC school districts spend more on inclusive education than they receive in funding from the Ministry of Education and Child Care. BCTF Research analysed funding and spending data on inclusive education from 2007-2024 and found a persistent funding gap over at least the past 17 years. In 2023-24, for example, provincial government funding only covered 72.3% of what BC school districts spent to provide inclusive education services. In dollar terms, this was a $340 million dollar funding shortfall that districts were forced to cover with their core operational funding. Besides creating pressure for districts to redirect funding from other operational areas, the lack of funding forces districts to ration inclusive education staff and services. Research with teachers has found that this can be seen as having to “triage the system,” including trying to fit in supports through creative scheduling, shifting support intended for one student to multiple students, and cobbling multiple small supports together.[v]

Crucially, data also indicates that even if provincial inclusive education funding was increased to meet spending, it would not be enough. The 2024-25 BCTF Membership Survey[vi] found that only 13% of teachers feel that students with disabilities or diverse needs are having their needs met. As one teacher shared, “our greatest challenge in our district is not having the funding or EA support to properly manage and/or support real inclusion.[vii]

Read through this lens, the chronic underfunding of BC’s inclusive education system is deeply disturbing. Children with disabilities and diverse needs have the right to meaningful education. They have a right to feel a sense of belonging in their school community and be supported by policies and procedures that value the success of all students.

Increased funding alone will not “fix” inclusive education. However, it is the necessary condition for moving BC along the path of more inclusive school communities.[viii] Imagine communities in which every child has access to timely learning assessments and specialist support services. Imagine sites where teachers and other education workers have the time and space for collaboration and relationship building within the school and the broader community. We can get there by enacting inclusive policies, approaches and procedures that are grounded in a rights-based perspectives – enabling classrooms and schools where all students are thriving and supported to explore and develop their gifts, passions and abilities.

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[i] Moore v. British Columbia (Education). See https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/12680/index.do

[ii] See https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/inclusive_ed_policy_manual.pdf

[iii] See Shields, K. (2018). Use the power of your school-based team to help yourself and your students. Teacher Magazine, 31.

[iv] Funding is provided according to three levels, with particularly inclusive education needs within each level. See p. 38 of the Ministry’s inclusive education policy manual for more details – https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/inclusive_ed_policy_manual.pdf

[v] See https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/for-news-and-stories/thelandscapeofinclusion97ee6f5ddf14430994d7d266b141e404.pdf?sfvrsn=9afa2c50_0

[vi] Report forthcoming. The random sample survey, fielded in February 2025, provides results that can be generalized to the overall teacher population in BC’s public schools with reasonable accuracy and a small margin of error: +/- 1.5% 19 times out of 20.

[vii] See https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/for-news-and-stories/bctf-membership-survey-summary-report-2023-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=3bdb986c_2

[viii] These ideas were developed at the June 2024 Think Tank on Meaningful Inclusion for Students with Disabilities and Diverse Needs. See: [viii] https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/default-document-library/inclusion-think-tank-report.pdf?sfvrsn=6bbd94c9_2

Dr. Andrée Gacoin is the Director of the Information, Research and International Solidarity Division at the BC Teachers’ Federation and an IPE/BC Fellow. Her research focuses on developing a unique, in-depth and contextualized exploration of education in BC from the perspective of teachers. Andrée is particularly interested in using research as advocacy to uphold and strengthen an inclusive public education system.

PE/BC is an independent, non-partisan organization, however we recognize that IPE/BC Associates and guest authors hold a range of views and interests relative to public schools, education issues, and the political landscape in BC. Perspectives is an opportunity for Associates and others to share their ideas in short, accessible essays.

New Research Casts Doubt on School Cell Phone Bans

March 29, 2025 

By Patti Bacchus

Cell phone bans in schools have gained popularity, often championed by politicians who announce them and leave the task of enforcement to teachers and administrators. The best part? These bans typically don’t cost anything. But do they actually work?

While there’s little debate about how distracting cell phones can be—both for students and for many adults—there’s a lack of solid evidence suggesting that banning these powerful devices during school hours is an effective solution to the complex challenges they present.

A recent study out of the UK has been generating significant attention, and for good reason. Published in The Lancet in February, the University of Birmingham study found that students at schools with cell phone bans showed no better outcomes in terms of mental health, physical activity, sleep, or academic achievement.

This isn’t to say that excessive cell phone use or social media isn’t negatively impacting youth; rather, it suggests that banning phones in schools isn’t the solution politicians often claim it to be.

I’m old enough to remember a variety of knee-jerk bans on things kids do. I recall marbles being banned at my elementary school (something about gambling), “clackers” (those balls on strings that had a tendency to send small pieces of glass flying), and even pants for girls (until that glorious day in the late 1960s when the ban was finally lifted and I ran home to change at lunch). In the 1970s, calculators raised alarms in my high school, and the list goes on.

It’s easy for adults to impose bans on children and youth, who have little power and no vote. But just because we can impose a ban doesn’t necessarily mean we should.

Sure, kids checking Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat during class isn’t conducive to learning. It’s disruptive and distracting. Teachers should absolutely have the authority to set rules in their classrooms, and keeping phones away during lessons generally makes sense—unless they are being used as part of the lesson or assignment.

But given that schools are meant to educate students and prepare them for healthy, engaged lives as productive citizens, are we shortchanging them by opting for simplistic (and often hard-to-enforce) bans instead of more comprehensive, nuanced approaches? Wouldn’t it be better to help them develop healthy tech habits and the ability to set boundaries for themselves, enabling them to use technology constructively?

The Birmingham researchers believe so. Not surprisingly, they found that time spent on phones and social media correlated with negative outcomes, including worse mental wellbeing, decreased physical activity, poorer sleep, lower academic performance, and more disruptive classroom behavior.

However, the researchers concluded that simply banning phones in the classroom won’t solve this problem. Instead, they argue we need to take a more holistic approach to managing overall phone use as a key part of improving adolescent health and wellbeing.

That may require further study to determine the best strategies, as well as funding to educate teachers, parents, and students about managing phone use. Schools and the education system are well-positioned to play a central role in this, but it will take much more than the “headline-grabbing gimmicks” of cellphone bans.

I’d also recommend involving students in the process of developing policies and strategies for cell phone use. This could shift the focus from mere compliance with rules to fostering critical, engaged thinking about technology.

This broader, more thoughtful approach may not grab headlines and is unlikely to be cheap, but we owe it to students to consider a solution that will improve their lives both now and in the future. It might just be time to ban the bans.

Patti Bacchus is a public education advocate, commentator, and IPE/BC Board member, who was also the Vancouver School Board’s longest-serving chair, from 2008-2014. She has also served on the Board of the Broadbent Institute. Patti has written extensively about public education issues in the Georgia Straight. She believes that a strong and well-resourced public education system is key to a healthy and just society.

Inclusionary practices in BC schools: Are we making progress? 

March 12, 2025

Moira Mackenzie

On March 6^th, IPE/BC held a public forum asking the question, “Are we making progress on inclusionary practices in BC schools?”  Thanks to our panelists, Tamara Taggart, President of Down syndrome BC, Tracy Humphreys, Executive Director of BCCPAC and past-ED of BCEdAccess, and Hilary Thompson, President of Inclusion BC, we learned a great deal. And, unfortunately, the answer to our question was a resounding “NO” from all three.

For years, the BC government has had an admirable policy statement on inclusion on the books, but without the necessary funding, supports and services in place, it is in danger of becoming an empty promise, especially to parents/caregivers who have to work so hard to advocate for their children with disabilities and/or diverse needs. These parents and many others know it’s a system under stress; they and their children regularly and directly experience the impact of teacher and support staff shortages and chronic underfunding. They also know how difficult it is to access the education decision-makers and be heard. And they speak  to the fact that placing students with disabilities and/or diverse needs in classrooms without the necessary supports or, as is sometimes the case, in segregated classrooms, serves to stigmatize their children and seriously undermines their ability to succeed.

Further, we learned that it’s not only the children and youth who are stigmatized, it can happen to their parents/caregivers as well, since they are forced to be determined, relentless advocates while also dealing with all the usual demands of parenting. Our panelists, who are all experienced advocates, spoke about the hurdles they and other parents face in trying to access information and be heard. They also know that they are among many, many others in this situation as each of their organization hear from great numbers of parents with similar experiences each year.

As an example, Tamara Taggart shared that Down syndrome BC was interested in finding out more about how the education dollars marked for inclusion were actually being spent. Were they, for example, being diverted to other uses? In communicating with Ministry officials over time, the organization was told that the Ministry doesn’t keep track of this spending and, so, didn’t have an answer. Undeterred, Downs syndrome BC wrote to a sampling of school boards only to be given the same answer- the district didn’t track that spending. It was very frustrating and equally concerning,  to say the least.

Tracy Humphreys spoke to the need for school boards to hear the concerns of parents. Too often, access to board meetings and even individual trustees is severely limited. She proposed that trustees make it a practice to include the voices of District Parent Advisory Councils and Parent Advisory Councils at the board table. In the BC School Act, DPACs, which include reps from PACs, are assured of their right to advise the board on any matter pertaining to education in the district and so should be regularly welcomed to share their concerns.

Hilary Thomson was very clear that what we need is “more humans” in the system providing more support. Simply put, placing students  in classrooms without supports is not inclusion. Hilary stressed the need to learn from parents and to ask the kids themselves what they need and want.

Looking back, inclusion first became a government initiative in the 1980s. The Royal Commission on Education report in 1988 and subsequent education School Act revisions mandated the closing of segregated schools and established the requirement that neighbourhood schools were to provide for the success of all children. There was the expectation of significant positive change and, for a time, there were meaningful steps in that direction. But, years of underfunding and the lack of adequate staffing and supports has us seeing inadequate supports as the “norm” and exclusionary practices coming back- reduced time at school, exclusion from certain activities, and, in some cases, even segregated programs and classes.

As our panelists reminded us all, inclusion is a recognized right, not just in BC but on the national and international levels. For example, the, Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities , which was ratified by Canada in 2010, speaks directly to the right to an inclusive education with access to necessary accommodations and supports.

So, given that our education system in BC has been struggling with inclusion, what needs to be done now? Hilary was clear that simply placing students in classrooms without the staffing and support they need is not inclusion. What we need is more humans, she told us, along with the willingness of school districts to better involve and learn from both students and parents. Tamara spoke to the need to  eliminate segregation; it breeds discrimination and children and youth carry the painful experiences of segregation into adulthood. Tracy reminded us of how important it is for post-secondary institutionsa to ensure that teacher education courses include a significant focus on inclusionary practices. And, all panelists agreed that education assistants need to be recognized for the information, skills and supports they can provide. Both education assistants and are teachers struggling under staffing shortages, underfunding and impossible working conditions.

We’d add one more step. We’d encourage everyone to call on each school district and the Ministry of Education and Child Care to hold similar forums with parents/caregivers, support staff, educators and students to learn from their experiences and recommit to fully supported inclusion in all of our public schools.

We’re very grateful to our panelists for sharing their wisdom and experience and for the incredibly important work they undertake. We also thank our very skilled panel moderator, Patti Bacchus, and all of our participants online and in person.

Click here to watch the forum. 

For more reading on inclusion in schools in BC today, we’d recommend:

Advocating for Equity, Report of the Vancouver DPAC Inclusive Education Working Group

Communities of Belonging: Conversations from the Think Tank on Meaningful Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and Diverse Needs

Too Many Left Behind: Ensuring Children and Youth with Disabilities Thrive,  report of the  BC Representative for Children and Youth, BC.

Realities of Inclusive Education in Surrey’s Public Schools

BC Ombudsperson’s Investigation into Exclusion of Students from School

BCEdAccess Exclusion Tracker

Placing a Priority on Public Education

Moira Mackenzie is member of the IPE/BC Board of Directors. She taught in BC public schools for many years, serving as a primary, intermediate, resource ,and learning assistance teacher ,and retired as Executive Director of the BCTF. She feels very privileged to volunteer with IPE/BC and work with others dedicated to quality, inclusive, accessible public education.