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Math and physics education news in Montreal,QC

Restricted learning approach of calculus at College Jean-de-Brebeuf

February 15, 2012

I had the opportunity of tutoring few students from the college last year and I felt that their approach of teaching calculus is very unique, at least in relation to other cegeps in Quebec. The methodologies used which of course are supported by a textbook  distributed by the college are  imposing a very narrowly reasoning to the students without leaving them any space of creativity which to my opinion is very important for the learning process. Pupils have to think throughout a very specific structured framework in their attempt to find derivatives or integrals of different functions. I really have no explanation for the use of this approach and its benefits to the students. 

Canadian Mathematical Olympiad results 2017

September, 2017

 

Unfortunately, again, no Quebec student  is among the winners of CMO (Canadian Mathematical Olympiad). A math competition for high school and cegep students across Canada. A completely untransparent hiring process for teachers, that is worse than a third world country is partly responsible for this. So many loopholes around the qualifications that someone needs to meet in order to be hired as a math faculty at the province's high school and cegep institutions. With only one purpose; to benefit those connected. For example, in order to get hired as a high school math teacher you need to have a B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) with  concentration in math. But if you are connected enough you can get hired in a Adult Education setting where the criteria for hiring are more "flexible". Or you can get hired in a private school which still gets funds from the Quebec Ministry of Education but again the hiring process is more "relaxed". The school for example can claim that at this particular moment there were not other candidates available and the school has to hire this person which again by "accident" happens to be connected.

Regarding the cegeps hiring process. It is indeed a shame to the taxpayers money. And for that I will give you some hard facts. There is a teacher at Vanier College in the Math department which I happened to know personally. In the best case scenario she might have the same qualifications as I do. She is a full time teacher at Vanier for almost 15 years. I can't even make it to the interview process. That's all I have to tell you.

Quebec students trailing in the CPO

July 6, 2017

Quebec high school and cegep students seriously underrepresented in winning spots in Canadian Physics Olympiad (CPO) competition for the last 5 years. A competition for high school and cegep students across Canada. The province of Ontario dominated the top spots.

A few bright exceptions were the following students:

1) Van Duong Vincent from  cegep Marianopolis college.He was among the 15 students selected to represent Canada in the International Physics Olympiad that took place in Zurich, Switzerland in 2016.

2) Barszcz Jean Alexandre from cegep Bois-de Boulonge college. He was among the 11 students selected to represent Canada in the International Physics Olympiad that took place in Copenhagen Denmark on 2013. And finally

3) Blouin Simon again from cegep Bois-de-Boulonge college. He was selected among the 15 students across Canada to be in the National team that represented the country in the International Physics Olympiad (IPO) that took place in Tallinn Estonia in 2012. He went on to win a bronze metal in that IPO.

Congratulations to all of them and to the physics departments of these colleges!

42nd Camadian Mathematical Olympiad results

April 17, 2011

Quebec is nowhere in the map among the top students in mathematics in high schools and cegeps across the country.

Textbooks late once more at English sector

May 29, 2009

Once again the ministry of education falls short in the delivery of books at the Anglophone school boards. The problem is more intense with mathematics textbooks

Canadian mathematics olympiad results
CAP high school physics competition results
CAP undergraduate physics competition results

April 30, 2009

Very poor performance of Quebec's Anglophone secondary and undergraduate students at national math and physics competitions. Not transparent hiring procedures at Montreal's high schools and cegeps definitely don't help the situation.

 

 

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