School trustees are asking the provincial government to not release Foundation Skills Assessment results this year.

BC School Trustees Association president Gordon Swan sent an open letter to Education Minister Rob Fleming earlier this month, saying school boards have been buoyed by the minister香蕉视频直播檚 comments about the 香蕉视频直播渦nfairness香蕉视频直播� of ranking schools and how they 香蕉视频直播渕isrepresent香蕉视频直播� the quality of teaching at a particular school.

香蕉视频直播淎ny public circulation of school results inevitably leads to the public ranking of schools by outside groups,香蕉视频直播� Swan wrote.

He singled out the Fraser Institute香蕉视频直播檚 annual school report card, which has gathered opposition from trustees and the B.C. Teacher香蕉视频直播檚 Federation in the past.

Speaking by phone on Tuesday morning, Swan said the FSA results were never meant to be released publicly.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 good to give us a picture of how we香蕉视频直播檙e doing as a sector,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 believe in assessment, but it has to be done appropriately. I know teachers in my own district do assessment on a daily basis.香蕉视频直播�

The Fraser Institute defended its usage of the test results, noting that hundreds of thousands of parents look at the report card each year.

香蕉视频直播淚f you don香蕉视频直播檛 want to do something harmful to children, kill the data,香蕉视频直播� said Peter Cowley, director of School Performance Studies at the Fraser Institute.

He challenged the province and the B.C. Teachers Federation to come up with a different set of metrics, if they consider the current metrics to be incomplete.

Glen Hansman, BCTF president, said that attempts had been made by both the union, and the previous B.C. government, but noted that the politicization of the issue made it difficult.

The education ministry noted that it did not endorse the tests香蕉视频直播� usage in the Fraser Institute香蕉视频直播檚 rankings, saying that it did not accurately reflect students香蕉视频直播� performance.

Swan claims the tests discriminate against lower-income students, whose parents often have no choice as to where they send their kids.

香蕉视频直播淭hey may be significantly represented in poorer neighbourhoods and communities and significantly under-represented in independent schools and the higher-price preparatory schools.

香蕉视频直播淚f I was to look at recent Syrian refugees coming in and not knowing English, I wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 expect them to perform well on our FSA tests,香蕉视频直播� he added. 香蕉视频直播淭hat doesn香蕉视频直播檛 reflect the quality of the instruction they香蕉视频直播檙e getting.香蕉视频直播�

Parents who are worried about how their kids are doing in school, or who are moving to a new school, should talk to their child香蕉视频直播檚 teacher rather than relying on the Fraser Institute香蕉视频直播檚 rankings, where private schools often rank the highest year after year.

The education ministry said it is reviewing the trustee association香蕉视频直播檚 concerns.

In a statement, it defended the FSAs, saying that the date of the tests has been moved into the fall to allow teachers and parents a glimpse into students香蕉视频直播� performance earlier in the year.