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Colleagues:
When we launched the CCL a year ago, I observed that this was an extraordinary chance for Canadian learning.
We have been offered here an opportunity to set in place a vision, a mission, and a model for continuous learning, which can unite Canadians in common purpose. It is a national initiative which we have much needed. Without a sustained pan-Canadian approach, many learners will not reach their objectives. Nor will provinces or regional authorities be able to attain their goals. Without such a national framework, we will miss the East-West learning railroad which must link Canadians of all regions, generations, and languages.
As we traveled the country; as we have striven to establish a model, a structure and a mode of operation which reflect our mission, I am struck by the acute sense of possibility that is felt for CCL by many people across Canada. Nurturing that potential accounts for the strong and consistent support of the Volunteer Board of CCL which is advancing the means by which we will fulfil our mandate. Indeed, two of our Board members, Marie Battiste and Minnie Grey, are attending this conference.
I would also like to acknowledge the vision of the federal government and of the department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada in particular, in making possible the creation of CCL. Understanding the need for a national body which can provide a strategic focus on learning is not the same as making it happen: that took steady nerves and political courage at many levels.
My task this evening is: first, to articulate the vision and purpose of CCL, which is so fully engaging so many Canadians. Secondly, to outline the priorities and structures which we have put in place. We feel wonderfully privileged to be allowed the opportunity of taking the transformative concept of a pan-Canadian learning architecture and giving it practical life through a unique model – but one which I think is quintessentially Canadian. Thirdly, I will need to ensure there is an understanding of the role of knowledge centres and the process to establish them.
Tomorrow morning, I will have a few words about the centrality of the Knowledge Centre for Aboriginal Learning.
CCL exists to develop and share knowledge about all aspects of learning in Canada.
Education and learning lie at the heart of a civil, democratic and prosperous society: they appear at the foundation of individual well-being, or personal learning to be, and of economic progress and social cohesion.
Successful societies of the future are those which are building today critical skills, attitudes, knowledge of self, and of the world – not just among the young, but also among the very young, among working populations (including those who work at home) and among those who have already made lifelong contributions at the workplace.
The vision of CCL is to link Canadians from all regions in sharing learning experiences and promoting the enhancement of learning as a core value of a distinctive society. Hence, the transformative image of a pan-Canadian architecture or a roadmap which will entrench and maintain our economic stability and social cohesion.
From this vision emerges a mission which suffuses CCL with enduring purpose at two levels: giving essential support to learners in their quest for continuous learning; and emphasizing the national character of such an enterprise. CCL is a catalyst, a facilitator, and a connector.
A model of inclusion, collaboration and partnership is that which we will take forward: only through partnership with learning organizations, community groups, other NGO’s, governments, researchers, employers and with learners can we establish a pan-Canadian learning architecture - the garment that binds us all together.
To build such a model, we need to take advantage of existing national expertise; but also of regional leadership and aspirations, together with the cumulative experience of learners and their groupings. Thus a hub and spoke system, which strength in strategic perspective and analysis is channeled through CCL’s offices; but a distributed model, expressed through knowledge centres providing domain leadership from each part of Canada.
Each of the five knowledge centres will take a degree of national responsibility for one vital aspect of learning, for a theme which is critical for individual societal and cultural development; and yet, for which we in this country have not been doing well enough. Every knowledge centre will exercise pan-Canadian leadership in a collaborative and inclusive manner which is fully congruent with the spirit and mission of CCL as a whole.
I will return in a moment to the function and funding of knowledge centres; but let me first turn to a description of the principal activities of the CCL. This will enable us to view the role of knowledge centres in perspective.
In distilling the mission of the CCL into pan-Canadian tools which will make a real difference in learning, we have identified three principal lines of endeavour: first, we have a unique mandate to inform Canadians of the state and progress of learning in Canada. Second, to promote a Canada-wide culture of learning, working with all our partners. Third, to encourage and facilitate the exchange of knowledge among all those involved in advancing learning across the country.
The task that drives us forward here is the sharing of information to achieve results – to provide evidence to allow informed decision making. CCL aims to build a learning network that extends beyond researchers, policy makers and academics. Our commitment is to ensure that our work is as accessible and relevant to Canadians as it is to learning experts.
All research proposals will be peer-reviewed for quality and methodology, as well as for relevance. However, this is a Council for learners, not just for researchers. As such, our peer review systems will be made up of experts from across the spectrum of learning.
We do not want islands of academic excellence in seas of community indifference. There are many sources of support for basic research in the education sector. Our goal is to support high quality relevant research along with effective mechanisms for knowledge exchange.
That is why all research which CCL supports will require partnerships between researchers, NGO’s and/or various levels of government; and will also require an explicit strategy for knowledge mobilization, that is to say, to demonstrate how the knowledge created will make a difference to learners. It is also the reason for which we fully expect that some research will be led by community groups with researchers in a consultative capacity, rather than leading the work.
The view that drives us on is the premise that this is a country in which it is worth knowing our progress and outcomes on a national basis. Monitoring only locally or provincially will identify solutions which are local and provincial – and often none at all. Education issues just stubbornly refuse to confine themselves within provincial borders. Pan-Canadian analysis will direct us towards Canadian approaches to challenges which in fact transcend provincial, or even national borders – solutions which will enhance our sense of unity, our sense of purpose.
We believe that measuring progress is the foundation for better performance. We will therefore develop a set of indicators and benchmarks by which we can judge ourselves and our progress in all our selected areas of learning. We will also create a composite learning index, which will broadly represent how Canadians are doing in learning. It is important to note that this index will NOT focus simply on our productive capacity but on other areas of life including learning to know, learning to be or personal learning, and learning to live together or social cohesion. To do this requires that we identify the right indicators and capture the right data. To succeed requires that we work in partnership with policy makers and practitioners – that we work with people like you in this room to both develop indicators and report on Aboriginal learning.
We also recognise that the tale of learning progress is not told by imprisoning ourselves behind statistical bars: we will find ways to describe the state of learning in some fields qualitatively and narratively – empirically grounded ways that evoke individual stories and community experience. This will be particularly useful in the area of Aboriginal learning.
An annual report will present CCL’s key indicators and narratives in a handbook format that will illustrate the state of learning in Canada. It will offer insights into what we know, what we don’t know and what we should do next.
Monitoring and reporting progress is more than simply publishing the results of surveys or reporting on long-term outcomes. It is working with communities, practitioners and policy-makers to help them identify, gather and assess meaningful data to interpret the results with a view to improvement; and to help the general public to understand the context, complexities and content of the reports. This naturally leads to knowledge exchange.
Knowledge will lead to change only if there are enabling mechanisms to facilitate ongoing relationships between researchers, policy makers, practitioners and communities. Evidence without context has minimal impact.
We are taking forward the task of building a national learning community. CCL will be looking at communities and programs across the country and around the world for innovative learning strategies that are producing significant results. Finding promising practices or learning models that are readily transferable is a key element in developing more effective approaches to learning for the years ahead. However, identifying practices is not enough; CCL will help build networks which may help to implement these practices effectively.
We need evidence-based practice, yes; but also practice-based evidence, that is, produce evidence about things we need to know.
CCL has identified five key areas of learning that require urgent attention. To ensure that these issues are addressed from a pan-Canadian perspective, CCL is creating five regionally-based knowledge centres across Canada to support these themes. These centres will be responsible for building a national network of experts and community of interest in each specific learning domain; and for advising CCL on the priorities for research, knowledge mobilization, monitoring and reporting, and knowledge exchange for each domain.
All will serve as national centres of expertise and action. And all will be asked to exercise pan-Canadian leadership in a collaborative and inclusive manner, consistent with the spirit and mission of CCL.
You are here today and tomorrow to help us in developing our fifth and final knowledge centre – the CCL Knowledge Centre on Aboriginal Learning. I and all of our staff here tonight look forward to working with you over the next day and a half to flesh out the elements and priorities of a knowledge centre that will make a difference in the area of Aboriginal learning.
At this point I would like to acknowledge the elders who are with us. Your wisdom and advice will be greatly appreciated.
Finally, I want to say thank you to several people who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event a reality:
Marlene Brandt-Castellano who, besides chairing this conference played a key role in developing the agenda and, as a member of the CCL Aboriginal guiding group, provided advice on many different occasions.
The members of the guiding group: Johanne Archibald and Deanna Nyce from BC, Vivian Ayounman from Alberta, Marie Battiste, Harry Lafond, Rita Bouvier and John Biss from Saskatchewan, Stan Wilson from Manitoba, Laura Horton from Ontario, Valeri Pilgrim, Natan Obed, Karla Williamson and Tracy Brown from the ITK here in Ottawa.
They have provided CCL with a lot of valuable advice and direction; especially developing the very significant background paper of principles, values and directives, which you have, hopefully, all had a chance to read. Many of them are here with us today and will be facilitators in the small group sessions tomorrow.
CCL staff members Daryl Rock and Sheena Powell, have worked hard on the logistical details to ensure your participation at this event is both productive and enjoyable.
Finally, I would like to thank each of you for agreeing to participate in this development conference. The Aboriginal Knowledge Centre is an opportunity for profiling and improving Aboriginal learning in Canada. Its success will be greatly enhanced by your active engagement at this event.
Thank you.
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