This past June, I graduated high school, and after having earned my place at U of T, began to prepare myself for the next exciting chapter of my life.
I feel the need to make it clear that I earned my acceptance although I have attended private school for the last decade. While this may not seem to make a difference to most individuals, it has led some to question the validity of my enrollment.
These accusations all come at the heels of the Toronto Star’s recent exposé on private schools that grant credits to undeserving students. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely schools in Ontario that have questionable academic practices. I’ve heard stories of teachers allowing their students to rewrite tests for $100 a-piece or for students who are able to negotiate a grade they did not deserve. However, by no means does this mean that every private school in the province simply lets its students coast through school and hand over diplomas when the price is right.
Despite my chagrin that my peers judge me based on my non-public education, the biggest proponent of this stereotype is the Ministry of Education itself. Two years ago, the Ministry of Education introduced a plan to bring transparency to the private school system, proposing that on a student’s transcript for credits earned outside public high schools, a “P” would be affixed. This label would be there for the purpose of helping universities better distinguish a student who earned grades “legitimately,” as opposed to one who had allegedly bought them by paying a private school tuition. While this system is so confusing that most universities simply ignore it, even if universities’ registrars aren’t evaluating students based on “Ps” on their transcripts, these private schools have garnered inescapable stereotype that all private school grads, myself included. To clarify:
- I have never purchased a rewrite for a test, nor have I ever been made such an offer.
- If I asked a teacher to boost my mark without me earning it, they would laugh in my face.
- Yes, I wore a uniform, and funnily enough, I miss it.
- I didn’t steal your scholarship.
There are faults in the current education system, and it may seem to most that trying to save the reputation of private school students should not be at the top of the Ministry of Education’s agenda. However, the trouble that the Ministry has caused for students like me, along with my private school peers, should not be taken lightly; I believe it is an issue that should be addressed with the greatest expediency.
Instead of simply placing all private schools into a category that most people don’t understand, why doesn’t the province dedicate its resources to make it easier for universities, colleges, and all other post-secondary institutions to distinguish a good credit from a bad one? This could be done through stricter inspection standards in both the private and public systems, and making sure that all schools across Ontario are adhering to the provinces set curriculum. Not only would this ensure that every deserving student have a chance to go to university, it would also mean that universities would be better equipped themselves to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff and offer guidance to students who are struggling.
Ultimately, there is no easy solution to this problem. There never is with education. However, what the province, and those who believe that private schools are all “grades-for-cash” establishments, need to realize that there are completly legitimate schools out there that produce excellent students who deserve a fine post-secondary education.
