Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again the Minister of Education has catered, cratered to the competitive ideology of the Fraser Institute by releasing standardized test scores from across the province, which have a more punitive than celebratory effect. To the minister: what motivational value or educational relevance does publicizing test results given at the end of the previous year for students who have left their division have for either students, teachers, or parents?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, far from catering to whatever it was the hon. member suggested, the Fraser Institute accesses the information that they publish through the freedom of information and protection of privacy rules in this province. Information that's in the hands of government that is not otherwise protected is available for release to people who apply appropriately under the act. I have no ability to withhold that information even though I disagree with the way that they use it.

Mr. Chase: Thank you. What purpose is achieved by permitting the publishing of rank-ordered school test results, particularly for those scoring below the 50th percentile? Does the minister believe that either embarrassment or degradation is a motivator for future success?

Mr. Hancock: I don't think the Fraser Institute report, Mr. Speaker, has any value whatsoever, and I say so every time I'm asked. I think it's a totally inappropriate use of the data, and I wish people wouldn't read it. But I cannot stop them from publishing it, I cannot stop newspapers from publishing it, and I cannot stop people from reading it.

Mr. Chase: Would the investment in time, effort, and money that goes into the preparation, marking, and evaluation of these one-shot wonder tests not be better spent at the classroom level in addressing both students' confidence and competence?

Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I would hope that our school boards across the province are addressing the issue of students' competence and confidence in their classrooms on an everyday basis and that our teachers are doing that as well. There is very much an appropriate process for assessment of and for learning in the classroom, but there's also an appropriate way — and whether or not the provincial achievement tests are that appropriate way has been the subject of discussion for a number of years and will go on – to be accountable to the public for the $6.3 billion that are spent on public education in this province every year and make sure that the system is working.