B.C. teachers’ union may oppose standardized testing, but most parents support it

Globe & Mail: 'Despite opposition from teacher unions, most British Columbia parents of kindergarten to Grade 12 children support standardized testing, which helps parents understand how their child – and their child’s school – is doing in reading, writing and math.

'A poll by Leger, commissioned by the Fraser Institute and released on Thursday, surveyed 1,204 parents of children aged 5 to 17 in public and independent schools. The poll found that an overwhelming majority of parents in Canada support standardized testing. In B.C., 80 per cent of parents support standardized testing. Among those parents, 43 per cent expressed strong support.

'And yet, the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), which represents all public school teachers in the province, continues to attack standardized testing and recently called on parents to opt their children out of the Foundation Skills Assessments (FSA) – tests that assess the academic proficiency of B.C. students in Grades 4 and 7. B.C. students also write literacy assessments in Grades 10 and 12 and a numeracy assessment in Grade 10.'