Segacs's World I Know

Posts Tagged ‘education’

Public hearings are being held on the subject of potentially scrapping the CEGEP system in Quebec, and replacing it with an extra year of high school.

Me to them: Hands off!

CEGEP is the best two years of many students’ entire academic careers. I’m far from the only person to say this.

For pre-university students, it’s a chance to adapt to a collegial environment before the pressure begins of choosing a major and a career path. For students in technical programs, it’s a chance to get a free education that will lead to a solid career path. For everyone, it’s a great social and academic environment, free of the trappings of the typical high school.

If a student switches programs in CEGEP, it costs them maybe an extra semester and a few textbooks. Switching programs in university can mean up to a year or more of extra tuition costs. CEGEP provides an opportunity to try out a few different things, during the truly formative years of one’s life, and find the path that suits them best before investing in a university degree in the subject.

CEGEP is one of the few things that Quebec actually got right. Work on funding education better, not messing up the system.

In a scathing opinion piece in today’s Gazette, McGill profs Reuven Brenner and Gil Troy tear apart academia:

We don’t have today a “free marketplace of ideas” – not by any stretch of the imagination. What we have is a heavily subsidized production of “obscure jargons” – much noise, that is – with academics carving out, then jealously guarding, their turf.

Pompous wording, circuitous sentences and flaccid prose protect prerogatives and bamboozle students with buzz-words, elaborate models and unverifiable theories, leaving a trail of confusion that mediocre followers – in academia, media and politics, too – either mistake for profundity or just misuse when convenient.

I think that’s a little harsh. There are some very good professors out there, and I took more than my share of excellent, thought-provoking classes.

But Brenner and Troy aren’t attacking individual professors so much as the entire system of academia. And here, they aren’t too far off the mark. While their analysis is more bleak than anything, there is no denying that academia can be full of narrow-minded people who are oftentimes out of touch with reality. The overuse of jargon should be obvious to any first-year arts student. Too many professors have voiced concerns about the sacred cow of “publish or perish” being replaced by “toe the line or you’re out”. If your opinions are unfashionable, you’ll have precious little success finding a position anywhere.

I’d like to say things are getting better, but it seems that they are getting worse. Too many classes, instead of teaching students to become independent thinkers, instead require regurgitation of the professor’s ideas. It’s obvious this can lead nowhere positive, and maybe some soul-searching in academics is long overdue.

This overshadows even Russell Crowe’s gesture:

The kids come from Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Turkey and China. They’ve experienced famine, war and death. They know hatred when they see it.

When students from the All Rights Committee (ARC) and the Student Parliament at the Islington Junior Middle School [in Toronto] heard about the firebombing of the United Talmud Torahs (UTT) library in Montreal earlier this month, they responded quickly and collected $440 and 250 books to help UTT rebuild.

[ . . . ]

When the UTT arson happened, “we wanted to show the Jewish people that we care and that we think it should stop,” Sarah Gaikwad, 13, says.

The article says that every class in the school contributed something, as much as they could. These are the kids who are being taught the right values, and they should be applauded for their help.

After her army service and before starting university, an Israeli friend of mine worked for a while as a security guard at elementary schools.

All the schools have armed guards now in Israel, for obvious reasons. They guard entranceways, check bags of people going in, and basically stay on the alert for anything suspicious. It’s sad but necessary. And as much as I hated my friend’s choice of job, it did pay better than waitress or gas station attendant… and let’s face it, these days it wasn’t really any more dangerous. But as much as I love Israel, I was grateful that I live in safe, secure Canada, where schools don’t need security guards.

Not anymore.

This morning, on my regular drive to work, I passed by a local Jewish elementary school, as I do every day. Yesterday was the first day of classes after Passover for the students there, and I didn’t notice anything in particular since I went into the office very early. But today, I drove by while the kids were out in the schoolyard for recess. And in addition to the teachers at their regular posts inside the schoolyard fence, I couldn’t help but see the security guard standing just outside. He was wearing a big jacket saying “SECURITY” in huge letters, and wearing an earpiece, and he was watching the traffic and all the people around the school with an alert, hardened look in his eyes.

He was the only guard I saw, but there may have been others. I understand why it’s necessary. The U.T.T. firebombing makes extra security a necessity. From the parents’ point of view, the more the better – anything to protect their kids.

But it also saddens me immensely that it’s come to this. That here, in safe secure Montreal, we need security at elementary schools to prevent sickos with agendas from attacking children.

• What on earth is that William Hung kid doing performing on Jay Leno? Sheesh, he’s so bad it’s embarrassing! I’d feel bad for the poor kid… but he’s more successful than most real musicians in North America. For the next 15 minutes at least. I don’t watch American Idol or anything, but I’d venture to say he’s enjoying more fame and publicity than any of the finalists! From Beatles to Hung in less than fifty years. What is music coming to?

• Letters like this one are encouraging and nice to see. But they’re also easy. Too easy. It’s simple to act upset and shocked when assholes firebomb an elementary school. It’s harder to face down other forms of antisemitism that aren’t so obvious but are just as harmful. I’d like to see a flooding of support for the Jewish community when there’s a suicide attack in Israel. Instead, we get finger-pointing and Israel-bashing.

• Speaking of the UTT fire, Geoff has photos (via Celestial Blue). Disturbing to see the building that way. I can’t bring myself to drive by. Though the attack happened in the elementary school’s library, the high school is attached and so I spent 5 years of my life inside that building on a near-daily basis. I’m too used to remembering it as the place I dreaded seeing as we drove up every morning… and was happy to be let loose from every afternoon … only because it meant long days trapped inside boring classes. It meant a school that was falling apart, with leaky toilets and an ever-present smell of rotten fish. It meant all the things that are a normal part of high school. It never meant fear of being harmed or attacked. What will the building mean to the current students?

• Lynn has the latest about the Mel Gibson movie, and its convenient messages in the Arab world. Here’s a hint: It’s not a hit in Muslim countries because of Monica Belluci’s breasts.

• Michele has done a lot to restore my faith in the education system. It seems that there are actually teachers out there who encourage kids to think for themselves and debate!

• In the meantime, I’ve concluded that Passover must be sponsored by the gyms and fitness centres. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt in such need of exercise.

Finally, let’s just pause for a moment and appreciate the wonderful thing that is a LONG WEEKEND!!!

Wagar High School has apologized for an incident last week where an American student was booed for waving her flag at a multicultural ceremony:

“[The students] were also told that certainly the booing of the American flag was more than just booing a flag,” [Principal Michael] Cristofaro said. “It was booing Americans and basically disrespecting the people the flag represents. I made that clear to them. I also apologized to the young lady on behalf of the student body.”

[ . . . ]

[Some letter-writers] called the incident another example of Quebecers’ and other Canadians’ disrespect for Americans. But Cristofaro suggests that notion is a stretch. “We have to keep in mind we are talking about teenage kids who are not always appropriate in every kind of venue.”

To say the least.

This reminds me a little of when the U.S. national anthem was booed at a hockey game right after the war broke out in Iraq last year. That, like this, might have been blown a bit out of proportion. But the fact that it happens at all says a lot, in my opinion. People are so accustomed to anti-Americanism these days that it just becomes one of those “no big deal” things. That’s exactly the problem.

Ironically, Wagar has changed an awful lot from the days when my mom was a student there… and the school was overwhelmingly Jewish.

Paul Martin’s finance minister, Ralph Goodale, announced the Federal Budget today. And of course, the media began to immediately analyse, spin, and dissect it seventeen ways from Sunday.

So here’s my ten-second breakdown.

Healthcare: Mainly a provincial issue, but very little new money to help bail out the provinces. Instead of spending it on medicare or on, oh, important stuff like equipment, doctors and nurses, and patient care, the government’s gonna create yet another useless level of bureaucracy, this one to address “public health” (like the SARS crisis). Never mind that there are hundreds of times more people needing everyday healthcare. But it seems that there can never be enough levels of waste for the Libs.

Taxes: Breaks for small businesses and aid for venture capital financing. Both good things. Nothing much for big business (cause, of course, the Liberals can’t be seen to be getting too cozy with the devil). Oh, and a big chunk of cash to find “environmentally-friendly technologies”. I guess that’s the only way a Liberal government can fund business. Anyway the most important question is how much more of my own money will I get to keep on each paycheck. The answer? Not a whole helluvalot. Thumbs down.

National Debt: A commitment to pay it down considerably. This is good. The people don’t always see the debt as a priority, but reducing the debt means reducing interest payments, and that can only help the economy. Let’s see if the government keeps this promise. (Echoes of the “we will cancel the GST” promise sounding in anyone else’s ears?)

Defence: Peacekeeping only. Money for missions in Afghanistan and Haiti. Oh, and a throwaway gesture that says that troops don’t have to pay tax on earnings while deployed abroad. Nothing that could be perceived as Bush-cozying or war-mongering. Heaven forbid Canadian troops get planes that don’t need to be held together with duct tape!

Education: Also a provincial area. Textbooks are now deductible for students. And “learning bonds” to give minuscule amounts of money to low-income students… in about 18 years or so. That’s about it.

Stupid Liberal Wastes of Money: Refreshingly few. Of course, these are usually the small-ticket throwaways that may not have hit the headlines yet. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a “multiculturalism fund” or a “help the CBC produce more aboriginal-related programming” fund increase. Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

Miscellany: Money for farmers hit by mad cow. Yeah, ok, that one sucked for them. And I certainly wouldn’t want to have to grow my own food, so I guess we can throw them some bones.

Overall: It’s balanced, so that’s good. It’s not excessive with a bunch of stupid spending to buy votes. So that’s also good. But not enough of the fat has been trimmed, and not enough of taxpayers’ money is being put back into taxpayers’ pockets. That about sums it up for me.

Update: Paul has a one-word summary of the budget: YAWN.

Following what was said below, it seems our schools are so eager to teach political correctness, tolerance, and multiculturalism, that they encourage pride in every background… except American:

A U.S.-born teenager carrying a U.S. flag in a multiculturalism parade was booed off stage and reduced to tears by fellow students at Wagar High School on Thursday, in an apparent protest against the Iraq war.

[ . . . ]

A parade of flags representing every nationality at the school – 39, this year – is an annual event at Wagar, the most ethnically diverse high school in the English Montreal School Board.

“During the parade, when the American flag (was) walked by, quite a large number of students booed, which was very upsetting to the student carrying the flag,” said Juanita Meikle, a parent who is chairperson of Wagar’s governing board.

The girl, a Grade 9 student, “was very upset. She was crying,” Meikle said.

No other flag was jeered.

Knee-jerk anti-Americanism is something that’s about as much a part of being a Canadian as street hockey. Unfortunately, even the most well-meaning educators encourage it. And lately, most of them haven’t been all that “well-meaning”.

With teachers ranting in classrooms about the evil American government and policies, the infringement of American culture on our own “wonderful” CBC, the exploitation of the rest of the world by America… small wonder students are booing the Stars and Stripes.

People don’t just come to believe something on their own. They need to be taught. I really hope that the teachers and administrators at Wager don’t just criticize the students, but take a long hard look at themselves. If we’re going to stamp out intolerance, that includes all forms of intolerance… including anti-Americanism.

An opinion piece in today’s Gazette speaks of the “dishonourable generation” – in the writer’s words, the boomers who now seek to deny future generations the benefits and advantages that they had. Patrick Barnard, a CEGEP teacher, laments the fact that what was good enough for them seems now to be “too good” for their kids. Specifically, he’s talking about the government’s proposal to reform or altogether eliminate the CEGEP system in Quebec:

The dishonourable generation went to CEGEP and university, enjoyed relatively small classes, received scholarships – all the result of public funds channeled through the state. Now those same people have become private and public managers who wish to wrest those benefits from their own progeny. They are the “chicken hawks” of public policy.

I don’t agree that all of the baby boomer generation fits into this category. Most of them – my parents’ generation, in fact – only want what’s best for their kids and grandkids.

But on the CEGEP issue, I think that Barnard is right on target. Quebec may be a messed-up place, but IMHO the CEGEP system was one of the best ideas that any provincial government ever had. Maybe I’m biased – my two years of CEGEP were two of the best years of my life – but the system itself makes an inherent kind of sense. After all, how many people really know after high school what direction they want their lives to take? It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to take a number of different kinds of courses in CEGEP that I had an idea of what field to pursue in university. Not only that, but I learned how to work to a college standard. There’s no way that my high school experience would have even come close to preparing me for a university workload.

CEGEP is a time to adapt to a college-like environment without the stress of a university workload. It’s a time to narrow one’s area of focus slightly while avoiding having to over-specialize just yet. It’s a chance for people to learn a technical career without needing to go to university at all, if they so choose, or to learn the basics of a pre-university field without being too restricted. It’s a chance to make the transition from being a high school “kid”, subject to strict rules and regulations, and an independant university “adult”. And best of all, if you attend a public CEGEP, it’s absolutely free!

My own CEGEP experience was great… an amazing social environment and school atmosphere, excellent teachers, interesting classes, and lasting friendships. I’m not suggesting that everyone loved it as much as I did… but most people seem to enjoy it – students and teachers alike. More importantly, it works.

The solution isn’t to eliminate CEGEPs but to expand their programs and funding. At the same time, the university tuition freeze should be lifted. This would give students access to quality free education at the CEGEP level, and provide them with the option of attending well-funded, world-class universities upon graduation. And by the time they get to that point, thanks to CEGEP they’ll have a fair idea of what they want to study, thus saving wasted money on a year of core courses or on program changes. Hopefully, the government will recognize this and save the CEGEP system before a successful experiment is dumped out the window.

Yep, good ol’ France, as expected, overwhelmingly backed the ban of religious symbols from the classroom, thus endorsing what is arguably one of the best candidates for prominence on dumblaws.com:

France’s National Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to banish religious emblems from state schools, a measure meant to keep tensions between Muslim and Jewish minorities out of public classrooms.

Deputies voted 494 to 36 to ban Muslim headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses and to expel pupils who insisted on wearing them. It will not apply to private schools.

[ . . . ]

“What is at issue here is the clear affirmation that public school is a place for learning and not for militant activity or proselytism,” Assembly Speaker Jean-Louis Debre said.

Er, no, what is at issue here is whether the public school system will actually deal with racism and militant activity, or whether it will just sweep it under the carpet. All this law will do is force Muslim girls out of the public system and into private Madrassas, where they will lose the opportunity to have a secular education. All this will do is force the militant wing of Islam underground in France, and insult all the mainstream Muslims by telling them that their symbol of faith is really a symbol of “militant activity”.

France is attempting to solve a serious problem by pretending it doesn’t exist, and we all know how well that works.