Paying for As: a look into incentive-based teaching

James Mangan
Team Member

s of the publication of this paper,

the BCTF will have entered its third
week of job action since summer’s end.
Understandably, parents are becoming
increasingly concerned for their
children’s education. Teacher wages have
been a central stumbling block in this
conflict, with both the BCTF and British
Columbia Liberal Party refusing to accept
the demands of the other. In a study
conducted by the Fraser Institute, Vicki
Alger discussed the possibility of having a
teacher’s pay linked to the achievements
of their students. The Fraser Institute, a
conservative-leaning and non-partisan
organization, argues that offering
incentives to teachers based on student

performance is not only in the best interest

of the students, but will keep Canada
competitive.

A hidden effect of the BCTE strike

here at UNBC

Nahid Tehari
Team Member

unior students are worried, stressed, and

afraid here at UNBC. I have noticed that
they are under pressure in their classes,
especially mathematics, since they didn’t
get to finish courses in high school in June
due to the teacher’s strike. They have been
in a panic about their courses at UNBC.
Even if they learned enough in high school,
many have lost their self-confidence. It
seems that they need just some extra
sessions to review the materials, since they
only missed two weeks of classes. Even
though it is not the responsibility of UNBC

In my opinion, financial incentives for
teachers based on student performance
is nonsense. Such a program will do
more harm to disadvantaged students
than good to privileged ones, and is
based on faulty assumptions regarding
the profession of teaching.

This suggestion is not new to Canada.
During the last provincial election in
Ontario, Progressive Conservative leader
Tim Hudak made student-achievement
incentives a campaign issue. This was a
contributing factor to his electoral defeat,
along with his promise to end 100,000
public sector jobs. Alger wrote that if such
a method were to be in place, negotiations
would have to be conducted between
teachers and the government concerning
the details of the specific incentives.

Whenever student-achievement
incentives are brought up as political
issues, the definition of achievement is

staff and faculty, some learning groups
are tasked with helping new students,
reviewing important topics, and asking if

they have special problems that they really

need help with. One math tutor claimed
that there should not be that much
problem with this year students,
but the next year students
probably will have major
issues, since the end of
the BCTF strike is
unpredictable.

often withheld. Most people associate
student achievement with good grades,
rather than skill development. As a result,
incentive bonuses would be distributed
among teachers with more A-students.
The problem with such a system is that

it creates a disincentive for teachers
attempting to help disadvantaged students
since that would lower the class average
and reduce their financial incentive.

If incentives were to be distributed by
skill development rather than by grade,
then the teacher who is capable of
teaching enhanced skill development
should be paid more than the teacher
who has a class of A-students. However,
the Canadian Education system dissuades
both these extremes by attempting to
bring fair, equal education to children
throughout all of Canada. Northern, rural
Canada is guaranteed the same quality of
education as southern, urban Canada. As
a result, teachers are currently not paid

by the grades they give their students,
but by their experience in the workplace
and their academic qualifications.

The Fraser Institute is also mistaken in
their assumption that financial incentives
would improve a student’s education.
According to UBC professor Wayne Ross
in a statement to the Globe and Mail, the
intentions of most teachers are altruistic
rather than financial. In most cases,
financial gain is not the prime motivator
in their workplace. Rather, teachers
strive to set the framework for students
to be successful in their adult life.

If the Fraser Institute wants to
advocate for an improved quality of
education for students, they should
be advocating that quality resources
be available to all students regardless
of their academic abilities rather than
focusing on student performance
based on academic excellence alone.