MSIP or MSKIP

The Near North District School Board is moving forward with their plans to pilot the Multiple Subject Instructional Period (MSIP) at two area high schools.

The program which students refer to as M-SKIP has raised concerns with both parents and teachers, and even though there was opposition to the program, the board passed a motion this week to move ahead.

Widdifield and Northern Secondary Schools have been chosen to run the programs and in September students will see the standard four (4) classes a day change to (5).

Concerned parent, Tanya Cole, attended Tuesday night’s meeting to voice her opposition the class change.

She told the Board that she is concerned with how the MSIP program will take 20 minutes of true instructional time away from each of the other classes to make room for the program.

“I’m looking for the sort of plan that makes me feel reassured that they are going to be able to really use that 60 minute period in a functional manner to enhance my child’s learning and to me that’s the bottom line.”

“If it’s good for my child’s learning I will support it, but I haven’t heard a plan that tells me that’s going to be a well used 60 minute period,” said Cole.

Cole also voiced her concern with the fact that the program was pushed through with little or no public input.

“There was no consultation on it. We had a not come back to us in February regarding this was going to happen across the board.”

“As I said to Colin Vickers tonight I talked with my Student’s Chair of Council and they were of the opinion it was a done thing, and they didn’t really become aware of it as possibly something that ‘might’ happen.”

Cole is also concerned with how the period will run as it is shaping up to be more of a study hall than a period of instruction, as the period will be a mix of kids from all grades 9 through 12.

“So there’s a mixture of kids in classes and they will be assigned to a classroom with a teacher and the hope is that there will be some peer mentoring going on there.”

“That it be an opportunity to do homework, get help with homework, my concern is you’ve got a teacher in there and it could be any teacher. Not necessarily the teacher teaching moth and you’ve got questions in math so do whom do you go to for help. You certainly can’t expect teachers to have all of hat knowledge to field all of the questions of all of the students in the classroom.”

Keith Pacey, of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation has his own reservations that echo Cole’s.

“I thought Mrs. Cole’s comments were right on, I certainly do agree with a lot of her perspectives on it.”

“I’m not in the same category or level of thinking that the director is, I see that there is no way under the MSIP that their proposing that a 110 hours of instructional time can be delivered.”

“Will the students be sitting in a classroom for 110 hours each credit…yes. The difference between sitting in a classroom spending 15 minutes a day doing homework and doing a 110 hours or the equivalent of 75 minutes in the course of the day on instructional time.”

Pacey also said that he hopes for the good of the students at Widdifield and Northern that the speculation parents and teachers have on the program is wrong.

“At least they’re collecting the data. I’ve asked for data for the past 18 months and finally they will at least be able to collect some data and prove that this is the best thing since sliced bread.”