O to be in England, where ideas are still allowed
Meanwhile, while Ontario goes into hysterics over a proposal to extend public funding to 50,000 kids -- 2% of the total -- in private schools, Britain continues with ambitious plans to "break down the historic divide between the state and private sectors in education..."," making public schools more like private, and private more like public. That's in Lobour-governed Britain:
The big guns of education's private sector have thrown their weight behind the Government's academies programme, paving the way for their biggest ever stake in the running of state schools. Lord Adonis, the Schools minister, announced plans yesterday for three more academies to be backed by private schools – bringing the total number sponsored by private schools to 47. Lancing, Hurstpierpoint and Ardingley, all fee-paying schools in West Sussex, are to sponsor three new academies in the county. In addition, Birkenhead High School for Girls, in Merseyside, a top performing school in private school league tables, announced it was planning to join the state sector as an academy. It will be the fifth private school to do so since the Government offered an olive branch to the sector to join.What the British call "academies" we call charter schools (to be eligible for funding, Birkenhead has to "give up selection" ie accept all comers). That's if anyone in Ontario were talking about charter schools.
10/02/2007
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It might well be that the barriers to extending public funds to faith-based schools is a consequence of ethnic diversity. With enrollment in permanent decline and costs increasing exponentially, it is hard to believe this education issue managed to dominate, indeed it got out of control, defining the election.
It must have touched a nerve, especially where population pressure and ethnic diversity meet, as if having a melting pot of public schools would make the anxiety of waiting in line at a supermarket more endurable.
Britain must have a different arena to negotiate these social tensions as it does not seem to spill into education debate.
Labour? Hah! this is a continuation of Thatcher's son policies.
Mr. Coyne, the problem is that there aren't enough people that know that 2% of us send our kids to private schools and our income isn't $100,000 or better. Plus the fact that they don't know that these schools ALREADY operate, but they think they'll suddenly spring up and sprout jihadists. Sickening really.
If 75% plus Catholic kids go to Catholic schools, what is to prevent 75% of Jewish kids, Muslim kids, Mormon kids, etc from going to faith based schools in the near future.
So we aren't talking 50,000 kids in the near future but 1 million or so who were not segregated but will be.
And as far as Muslims go, that is what Ontario really needs, low income Muslim families being able to send their kids to Muslim only schools.
This is why Tory committed political suicide, and the fact he didn't take it off the table completely means he doesn't get it, and doesn't need to be leader.
Ignorance of Canada is rather widespread, even amongst so-called national opinion leaders.
The Edmonton Public School Board has both Christian (non-Catholic) and Jewish schools in the public system under the auspices of the public board with ATA teachers, public school choice, and a whole host of other diverse school choices, and is widely recognized as one of the best public school systems in North America.
Alberta also has a charter school law, but even with the charter school option, these religious schools have chosen to be both public schools and religious schools simultaneously under the public board.
The problem in Ontario is that the government, the political parties, the public boards, and the religious schools all have to put a little water in their "whines".
It is all a phony issue by all sides in Ontario. They all want to fight and score political points rather than come to a reasonable accomodation for the sake of the children.
Mr.Coyne you make a good point. We really do need to look around a bit and see what's going on before we start making ridiculous statements like "and as far as Muslims go, that is what Ontario really needs, low income Muslims being able to send their kids to Muslim only schools."
Get your head out of your --- and stop spreading hate.
Perhaps when I vote I should close my eyes and think of England.
I'll be sure to open them for the Referendum ballot though, and Vote for MMP!
"And as far as Muslims go, that is what Ontario really needs, low income Muslim families being able to send their kids to Muslim only schools."
What exactly are you getting at with this statement?
The current Ontario election has been an eye opener for several reasons.
Who would have thought that the Liberals would play the race card, warning Ontarians that they should fear people who are different? For shame.
And then there's the issue of fairness. The Liberals love the Canadian Charter of Rights. Yet they wipe their feet on it by advocating a system by which someone gets something for free based on their religion, while others don't. There is no justification for that. More shame.
That said, the Liberals earn an A+ for marketing. Saddled with a distasteful liar of a leader who has done nothing more than re-promise all of the things they didn't do in the past four years, they needed to change the focus. They must be stunned at how successful they've been.
This will be the second time that Tory has been defeated by what will be, in retrospect, an irrelevant, diversionary issue.
With the mess that Toronto is in Today, how many Torontonians still view the existence of a bridge as the biggest issue facing this city?
John Tory's opponents realize that the electorate can be turned into mindless idiots by creating a 'shiny beads' issue.
Tory may be a lot of things - many of which would likely help this province - but he isn't a good politician. Maybe that's a good thing.
Many have asked why Tory stuck to his guns on the faith-based funding proposal in spite of the way it was being portrayed by the Liberals and the media. For months, he refused to back down - until faced by a revolt - on an issue of principle.
Frankly, I would rather he hadn't backed down. When all is said and done, all you have left is your face in the mirror. I would rather lose than pander to a bunch of race-baiting Liberals and the moronic public that bought into it.
If my kid came home from school saying she deserved something that other kids didn't deserve - because of her race / religion / sex, etc.... I would tell her she was wrong.
No amount of feet stomping, threats or tears would change my message to her. Mr. Tory stuck to his principles for so long because he had a misplaced faith in the people of Ontario to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong, given the time. It may have been political suicide, but it was an honourable position.
And to put an exclamation point on how cynical the Liberals are, once they win a majority, I fully expect them to begin the process of funding the non-Catholic schools, under the premise that they were the only ones who are able to do it in a non-divisive way.
Please God I'm not wearning my good shoes the day that happens, because I'm going to puke for sure.