Back to School

Ah, it's that time of year again.  Back to School season is upon us once again.  How do I know this?  Not from the knapsacks and lunch boxes that are prominently featured in the aisles of every store. Not from the flyers that fill my newspaper, advertising great deals on school supplies.

No, I know it must be back to school time because the tensions are building, tempers are starting to flare, heels are being dug in and the rhetoric is flying between the teachers and the Province. Another threat of a strike by the educators. 

The battle this year is over Bill 74, among other things. Depending on who you listen to, Bill 74 is great, anti-democratic, fascist, long-awaited...you get the idea.

Bill 74 is an act to amend the Education Act, supposedly to improve the quality of education in Ontario.

I get annoyed listening to teachers who tell me what Bill 74 says.  I ask them all: "Have you read it"?  I haven?t met one yet that has.  The same thing happened last time when Bill 160 was passed. The teachers say: "Our union reps told us what it says."  I'm sure that was fair account.

I read Bill 160 - it was 1.5 inches thick!  I have also read  Bill 74.  I encourage everyone to do the same.  To read it, go to www.ontla.on.ca, follow the "Parliamentary Publications" link, then the "Bills & Status of Legislation" link, then scroll down and click on "Education Accountability".  View the Third Reading.

Our education system needs work.  Children are not learning what they are supposed to learn.  We all have anecdotal evidence of this.  Here's my story:

I bought a pizza slice.  It cost $2.60.  I handed the cashier a $5 bill.  She was a young woman, about 18-20 years old, likely already done high school.  She went to get my $2.40 in change.  She grabbed a toonie, then apologized for having no dimes and started counting out nickels.  She only had 7, and started on the pennies, when I told her that she could keep the coppers. 

I then glanced at the cash drawer and noticed that there was a whole bin of quarters there.  I was shocked.  Here was a cashier who had completely depleted her dimes and nickels in counting out 40 cents in change for numerous customers.  She could not compute that $.40 could be best made by using 1 quarter, 1 dime and 1 nickel.  Surely this is elementary-level math.

I don't know if Bill 74 is part of the solution or part of the problem.  I have my opinion, but I don't plan on using this column to spread it.  I do know that there is a problem and it is good to see that the Province is trying to do something about it. 

I encourage everyone to read the Bill and make an informed opinion.  If Bill 74 is not part of the answer, let's find out what is the answer and implement it.  Our country cannot afford to graduate people that can't count.

I just feel sorry for the poor sap that bought a slice after me and got 40 pennies!