Holiday greetings and thanks to readers and authors from the Education desk. It amazing to look back over 12 months at the range of educational research and analysis relevant to many dimensions of our lives.

Today in The Conversation Canada, Helena Osana and Vera Wagner of Concordia University with Jairo A. Navarrete-Ulloa of O’Higgins University write about how children learn about the meaning of multidigit numbers. It’s a neat example of research that considers what we might take for granted like the meaning of the number 27 (today’s date) or even 2024 (soon-to-be the year) and yields insight into the significant steps involved in learning.        

This story recalls other pieces authors wrote this year that tackled different dimensions of how providing accessible and relevant education matters from children’s earliest years onwards.  

Authors examined varied aspects of this, including the importance of anti-racist and inclusive learning to foster racial equity and inclusive classrooms. They examined standoffs in provinces across the country around affirming students’ identities and pronouns and the importance of accurate language about disability. Such stories probed how what happens in schools and also at home matters not only for supporting the healthy development of children and youth, but for healthy, equitable and democratic societies.

At the post-secondary level, both in wake of the Israel-Hamas war and also before it, authors considered the challenging problem of how universities can foster fruitful debate amid polarizing situations and a rise in expressions of hate.   

Amid these situations, an important piece of education policy is confronting our climate emergency and calls to decolonize schooling. I was reminded how learning about treaties revitalizes understanding where we are on Turtle Island and the importance of respectful relations with First Nations and whole ecologies (including eels: thinking about them was one highlight of my year).

A investigation into residential school denialism and reporting on residential schools legacies raised important journalistic and democratic questions about the far-reaching implications of being responsible and accountable for accurate narratives in a 24-hour news cycle. Like so many stories we produce, there are important follow-up angles to address. 

Please keep reaching out with story ideas. This year, Education authors devoted significant time to the meaning of teaching and learning, including with me. Thanks to you and to our team. Messages, anecdotes, patience, generosity, humour (with or without all caps) and invitations to further learning are appreciated.