Wednesday July 23, 2008
Spinks . - 7:16 PM ADT
Finally a voice of reason in the whole Elton John ticket “fiasco”.
The media, most notably the Moncton Times and Transcript have been lamenting the past few days about the poor people who couldn’t buy tickets to John’s upcoming Maritime shows.
A tainted system is to blame for people not getting tickets, they cried.
Scalpers are to blame for them not getting tickets, they cried.
Finally fellow blogger Brian Cormier (who scored a couple of tickets on the Moncton ticket website) said exactly what the main problem was on CBC this morning. Elton John is popular and a lot of people want to go see his show. In fact more people than there are seats. Way more.
Elton John could fill the Magnetic Hill concert site with ease so there was no way a few venues with less than 10,000 seats each were going to be able to meet the demand.
To those who didn’t get a ticket, better luck next time. To the media, how about a few more Brian Cormiers stating the obvious. Might not be as sexy a story but it’s a lot more factual.
Crossposted - Spink About It
Monday July 21, 2008
Spinks . - 8:05 PM ADT
When New Brunswick Education Minister Kelly Lamrock announced he would address problems in the English school system, I said "Finally!" The problems such as streaming and poor results have been talked about in quiet hushes for years. All parents knew there were issues. Children were being placed in Early French immersion often as a way to avoid what was at least perceived as a horribly broken English language school system. No one wanted to stick their children with the "slow" or the "bad" kids. Since addressing this was considered a political hot potato or "poking the language bear", as some would put it, government after government stuck their heads in the sand instead of fessing up that there was a problem and it needed to be addressed.
So I find myself a bit at odds when thinking about what might work (stress the word might, no one has a proven solution, just some ideas that might improve the odds) because as I've written before subjecting even one more year of children to a system known to be broken seems irresponsible.
But so does rushing ahead with something that might not work at all and enough questions have been raised by opponents (and a court order I might add) to lend one to think that some reflection is required particularly with the Minister allowing less than a month before school starts to implement changes.
One key stumbling block has been the consistent message from the parents and special interest groups fighting to keep EFI...choice. Clearly that hurdle needs to be addressed.
Here are a few ideas to address some of the issues.
- French as a subject needs to be mandatory from K-12 just like English and Math.
- Keep the Grade 5 intensive French program. If math or science is taught though, teach them in English. These are still English kids after all and they are going to use those terms in life in English. That's just the way it is.
- Add another intensive French component in a later grade to offer a bit of an upgrade. -Create social situations in which the kids can actually use French in a way that is relevant. It’s great to say they speak a bunch of languages in Europe and look to them but in those countries where that’s the truth that’s because it’s become a necessity. That’s not the case here. In most areas of New Brunswick when EFI children leave school, they don’t hear any French until the next day in class. Kelly Lamrock is correct that no matter what is done in school students will have to maintain it on their own when they get out of school. Use it or lose it is accurate when it comes to language.
- Test the students French at least once a year so that programs can be adjusted for effectiveness and relevance.
- Finally, scrap EFI and consider scrapping late immersion but not for another two to three years and here's why.
Officials with the French language school system have already spoken publicly that they have no problem with English students attending the French schools even if both parents are English. They do however require some effort on the parent's part to get the children ready. A two to three year window allows that preparation time for parents who want to have their children educated in French. Yes I know there are not French schools throughout New Brunswick but neither is EFI offered throughout New Brunswick. Many rural areas don't have EFI now. This way there would be an enhanced French instruction for all students and a vast amount of the province is covered with French schools including mostly English areas such as Saint John, Fredericton and Miramichi. In the end, if there's an enhanced French program, don't expect a mass exodus to French schools. There’s a cultural issue at play too and most English parents will want their kids in an English school. However this allows many English parents to have their children educated in French if they want.
One caveat is that French immersion still needs to be properly funded for the next decade and a half as existing students work their way through the system. This is critical so that those students aren’t left behind either.
Are there pros and cons to this? Just like all of the plans of course there are but it is compromise all around and in the end more children will be better for it.
Related - David Campbell's thoughts.
Crossposted - Spink About It
Tuesday July 15, 2008
Spinks . - 10:06 AM ADT
Any doubt Beverley McLachlin et al on the Order of Canada nominating committee are pushing an agenda when nominating people for the Order of Canada was put to rest when I read this.
Whether you think Henry Morgentaler is a monster, a hero or something inbetween, one would be hard pressed to find someone who thinks he isn't one of the most controversial living Canadians. Yet "too controversial" is apparently a criteria for not getting named.
Frankly I could care less if Morgentaler gets it or doesn't. The controversy has once again brought the abortion issue to the forefront and forced people to talk about it. That's all good.
However it is time for a little more openess about what the criteria for the Order of Canada is. On the surface it is apparently whatever McLachlin and her elitist friends want it to be.
H/T - Burton Front
Crossposted - Spink About It
Thursday July 10, 2008
Spinks . - 12:57 PM ADT
The media might not be able to attend but Rob at The Independent is live blogging the discussions taking place. Interesting stuff.
Meanwhile what I found to be an interesting article on the issue with some neat ideas is getting pilloried by some commentators.
Spink About It
Tuesday July 8, 2008
Spinks . - 9:39 PM ADT
I've been laying a bit low lately. Summer I guess. Meanwhile, guest blogger Kit has been holding down the fort at Spink About It.
Early French immersion is the topic du jour. Enjoy. My own thoughts on what the government should perhaps at least consider coming up soon.
Spink About It
Monday June 30, 2008
Spinks . - 1:00 PM ADT
I couldn't resist joining in on what has N.B. all abuzz.
Spink About It
Monday June 30, 2008
Spinks . - 8:44 AM ADT
Poof! Too bad.
H/T - Anonymous comment at CanadaEast.
Spink About It
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Spinks . - 8:00 PM ADT
Education Minister Kelly Lamrock takes to the air of CBC Radio on Wednesday morning (7 to 8am I believe) for a province wide call-in regarding changes to delivering French language instruction to English students. Open houses on the issue start that day around the province and continue on Saturday.
I fully expect the call-in to be an hour of him getting slammed.
Maybe he deserves it but here’s the problem.
He’s been getting slammed for months now. I suspect he gets it that some are unhappy. Initially it served a purpose to let people know that there was opposition. Today, I don’t know what rock you would have to look under to find someone who didn’t know that.
Now’s the time to start presenting some ideas on how to address the problems with the school system. Discuss them here if you want but get those ideas to the government. If the ideas don’t start flowing two things are going to happen without question. One : in the absence of anything else, Lamrock will go ahead with some semblance of Plan A. Two : Those who disagree with that will take the government back to court and we’re going to do this dance for a while. Let’s instead come up with something that may not be what everyone wants but works. I have my own ideas which I’ll throw out in the next little while. In the meantime let’s stop arguing and start thinking up ways to improve the broken system we have now.
Note to CBC’s Terry Seguin. Moderate the call-in so it’s not just a rant for some. Make it useful. We’ll all thank you for it.
Spink About It
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Spinks . - 12:05 PM ADT
I've read some loonie stories but this tear jerker takes the cake.
Spink About It
Tuesday June 17, 2008
Spinks . - 12:58 PM ADT
It's a hot topic and well it should be but MAN, there's some nasty comments flying all around over at the Telegraph Journal today regarding a story about the Parents for Fairness.
When 100 people protested the changes, not for two seconds did I think it was only 100 people who cared and that their concerns weren't valid. My beef was that there was obviously another side to the story which hadn't been heard and was being ignored. Apparently some think it should have stayed that way.
Crossposted - Spink About It
