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Today in The Conversation Canada, we have two provocative stories about Ontario’s education system. Kerry McCuaig of the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education looks at the province’s recent announcement that it is reconsidering full-day kindergarten and why changing the system could have long-lasting impacts on children. Vidya Shah of York University writes about a student achievement gap that’s based on race and income and why identity-based data is needed to better understand the reasons the gaps exist.
Sylvie Albert of the University of Winnipeg has edited a forthcoming book called Innovative Solutions for Creating Sustainable Cities and she highlights a chapter in the book that looks how cities could learn important lessons from Star Trek – specifically how the show’s overarching message is that communities must support one another.
And finally…Joel Lexchin returns with another analysis of big pharma – in particular, the practice of drug companies that give free samples to doctors. What’s wrong with that? Joel explains the implications on patients and consumers.
Regards,
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Wiarton Willie, pictured with Premier Doug Ford
on Groundhog Day, cannot yet predict what Ontario may do to full-day kindergarten.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ball
Kerry McCuaig, University of Toronto
Nine years in from its start date, full-day kindergarten is doing its job laying foundational learning for the future of individual children and the province at large.
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The TV show Star Trek contains lessons for sustainable and inclusive innovation.
Shutterstock
Sylvie Albert, University of Winnipeg
The Star Trek formula for sustainable urban innovation: collaborate, share, use technology for the greater good and invest in people.
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Toronto school board data reveals that Black, racialized and lower-income students face significant gaps in student outcomes.
Nik Shuliahin /Unsplash
Vidya Shah, York University, Canada
In examining and addressing opportunity gaps for racialized students in schools, school boards must learn to account for present-day and historical inequities.
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In 2016, drug company salespeople gave out almost 10 million pills to doctors.
(Unsplash)
Joel Lexchin, University of Toronto
It takes about three years for safety problems to be identified in new drugs, newer drugs are almost always more expensive, and yet Canadian doctors still hand out hundreds of thousands of samples.
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Le salon de barbier est le lieu de prédilection pour les hommes et les garçons noirs où discuter de leur masculinité.
Edgar Chaparro/Unsplash
Warren Clarke, Carleton University; Nadine Powell, Carleton University
La Discussion chez le barbier veut faire prendre conscience à la communauté noire canadienne des préjugés qui lui nuisent, susciter un débat et encourager les gens à s’écouter.
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Health + Medicine
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Shirin Ashraf, University of Glasgow; Arthur Wickenhagen, University of Glasgow
Without the current experimental vaccine the Ebola outbreak in the DRC has the potential to spiral out of control.
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Environment + Energy
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Anthony Dosseto, University of Wollongong
A new report predicts that one-third of the ice in the Himalayas will melt, even if we contain global warming to 1.5C. So what does that mean for the flood-prone valleys below?
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Politics
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Simon Toubeau, University of Nottingham
When two founding partners of the European Union are at loggerheads, something is very wrong.
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