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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-09-09, Page 4• Page -) Times -Advocate, September 9, 1998 Publisher & Editor: lint Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord a ag; Barb Consitt, News: Kate Monk, Craig Bradford, Scott Nixon, Ross Haugh QWuc ion; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner rransoprtation: Al Hodgen Front Office 4 Accounting. Sue ReIlings, Carol Windsor Ruthanne Negran, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple, Ruth Slaght, 1114 �•• ea•r The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers • providing news; advertising and information leadership I',I)" l)I\1:1I, "Tough new curriculum" neither tough or new 0 ur,provincial government has • On occasion,.a teacher will .take a -class just announced.its "tough" new history on a walking tour of the neighborhood • and geography curriculum for elemen to study the mix of business, residential tary school students. One of the key -points has students • knowing the names of the provinces and territories by Grade 4 instead of - waiting until Grade 6. - -Something about this rings false; hav ing students learn the names of the provinces sounds neither tough nor new. One might venture a guess that even With the old; tatteredcurriculuirl, a fair number.Grade 4 students would be able to give the correctcapitals for the prov- inces.and territories. In fact. they would likely achieve a higher -score than most . adults. Most Ontario children know. a lot more about Canadian history and politics than their parents do. Few of us disagree with the need for Canadian children to learn about the .country in which they live, its history_ , _ geography, economics and political' system. •• - Making our "children memorize the names of the provinces. territories and the rest of it may sound pleasantly pa- triotic, and may distract the Ontario voter from being alarmed at the possi- bility of another teacher's strike. But we must ask if it will truly foster - an interest in, and respect for Canada. The answer is obvious - it will not. A child may be able to rhyme off the fact and statistics, but find the whole topic deadly dull -- something to be forgotten •as soon as possible: ' Yet there is so much already. happen ing in our schools that accomplishes the goal of making Canadian history,, geog- raphy, economics and politics impor- tant to our children. • - Some classes have pen pais in.other provinces - not the easiest thing to.or-- ganize, but an inexpensive and fun way - to introduce 'students to written commu= nication with children who. may have a drarnaticall different lifest le. Some and industrial land uses. -And there are visits to area museums, some of which have surprisingly exciting displays and . programs; visits to •the local outdoor ed- ucation centre to learn about our natural • history; tripsto the local.municipal of-• • fice to -see how municipal government works. The key is not to force-feed kids a -set number of facts, but to use those basic facts as the introduction to this tascinat- . ing country in which•we live. This takes a -lot of imagination and -creativity on the part of our teachers, backed by interest - ing .and up-to-date Canadian textbooks: • plus funding for museum exhibits.. con- servation education centres, and the oth- er ther little "extras" that bring our culture -to lite. • . The imagination is there, but-unfortu- nately, utuntortunately, too many classrooms do not have enough textbooks to go around, and even those are often sadly•out of date. something the new funding package for . schools was intended to alleviate. And" - funding for the-"extras"has largely dis- appeared. is-appeared. • At the same time. too many Canadian parents act and talk as if•Americati presi- dential affairs (and affaires► matter more than what is happening at- home. - It -we, as .parents-, want our,'children to - demonstrate a greater interest' in ,Canada, • perhaps we should be taking our chil- dren to a council meeting.. stopping to read historic plaques, or playing tourist in our own community and learning, about the sites of interest. Applauding the -"tough new curricu- lum" may be easier than' turning -off American sit -cams and discussing local dews with the kids, and it is certainly • easierthan out about and sup- porting the exciting things our teachers are already doing. But -where our children's education is concerned, we ,cannot afford to accept. Y Y - classes communicate with other Cana- easy answers. . - , dian schools via the Internet. reprinted jrum Saugee,r City Nevvs ID We welcome your opinion. All letters to the editor must be signed and are subject to editing. - Deliver to 424 Main Street, or mail to P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6 • A View from Queen's Park TORONTO -- Premier Mike' Harris has sud- denly started singing the praises of visible mi- norities and multiculturalism, having recog- nized that their vote in a coming election is growing so fast he can no longer ignore it. The Progressive Conservative premier. who previously had not made much effort to woo minorities, stepped out of character and turned up at a celebration in Toronto of India's 50 years of independence. .Harris told those gathered that the Indian community is strong, particularly in the work ethic, and "has graced this province and made an enormous impact on a province -that • prides itself on multiculturalism." Citizenship Minister Isabel Bassett added that India and Canada "have a lot in common, espe- cially multiculturalism." The fairly new minis- ter had already said that she wants to preserve funding for groups promoting multiculturalism. This is a switch from Harris's usual stance on visible minorities. Unlike his predecessors, in- cluding long -serving Tory premier William Da- vis, he has not been seen often with them, and By Eric Dowd Pubi'rations Mad Registration Number 07511 SUBSCRIPTION RAMC - One year rate for Canada subscribers - 535.00. OST Two year rate for Canada subscribers - 863.00 + OST OTHER RAILS Outside Canada - 8102.90 '•421ts;WS .►‘v Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter. Ontario, NOM 1S6 by 1.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1.519.235-1331 • Fax: 519-235-0766 email•tae..dy.corn G.S.T. ea105210835 And another thing Racist comments It may simply be the aftereftccts of a long. hot summer or 'something, but -it seems Canadian puhh. Igures have been saying a. . lot of titupid things later -• • - �. Lers.start with Bobby Hull., the man 'lovingly. referred to as. the - - Golden let, (funny nickname.- - considering Hulf'. blond, -hair hasn't been real for years -- Btibby may he 59 years old. bur -Itis Matt is only about 200 According'. to a story to the Mbsco'' 'tunes. Hull - made several oflens►ve rcnr,trks including: amazingly. "Hitler. for example. had si+rne gibed idl:as..He oust iwent a little bit too Iter paper also' reponed Hull - said the black population, in the U.S.- is . growing too.last . . -- Hull, - of course. ' dentes' the charge. claiming he . was talking about -cattle' and how to breed the perfect,uow. Hull bring -explained- -what that leas to do with the black populatittn in the U.S. ; - . - And as for Hitler and -his "good ideas". the only, good idea he ever had.was committing suicide. Maybe Hull is.tclling the-trudt :-- maybe he was talking about cows It's hard to believe-, though, kir two reasons: Hull has never shied away froth controversial connnepts in Ake past and contrary to- what most- the rsethe puhlit may think, -r'eporterdo not arhttranly conGtkt stories -- -;that kind of behavior is • iii poor taste and it can lead M. a shim) By Scott Nixon what the Hull? career- . Many.peuplc .still refuse to 'believe Hull inade sueli cominent,: _however: probably because - he'. supposed to he a Canadian - hero, even though his greatest. hoeke,} achievements were made in, the U.S. more than 25 year. aeo - . Hull hasn't been atone in making verha{ ruid. • recently Quebec depute pi'enucr Bernard Landry said thi ntaloni.- redinrements lora' relerendum '•yes' vote be set too high because that would rive ethnic vtite,s -- roust til whom Hull 'and Landry should ,,have known such statements Would cause controversy. wo15hl-vote .'110.. in ,i reIt'reriduin -+- a veto Landry's statement. is racist. narrow-minded' and' unlurtiniatc)% typical' of the suit -of ciinuncnts madebs separatists who will 51001' to any levetto axil ilii.. country '" Landry. like' Hull. • isn't taking responsibility. .for his cotnnients:, blaming pt'hUcal correctness and the English media for blowing things out of proportion Nice try. Bernard:. we're -not buying • it. i though..i • , Canadians have .heard these continents -before: -tire most. infamous being Jacques Panzeau's ttittlish remark. on the night 'of the _ last referendum thai the "Yes'" side lost because of "Money and the . ethnic .vote " Those remarks went fiver 'like the' .:proverbial lead "'balloon and Panzeau. long suspected cif being an old blowhard . lull of hot air. proved himself to be lust that. What's interesting . about., Landry' .r6:ent cotnments."though. is the fact Quebec.Premier Lucien. Biuch:lyd• hasn't denounced •them. While • Bouchard has,. never: ..been, +stupid . enough to 'make such: remarks himselfhe._ should have 'quickly and torcettilly put Landry In his place Since he hasn't done so. every nun-Irancoplione in Qut her has the • nghi to - 'be suspicious ,'t the Part Quebecois and should start hn:tding for the hells tl the "Yes" side ever wins -a referendum. 't'he PQ's reputation as - a group'ol Xenophobes who don't. . care about- anyone diem doesn't .peak -French is well earned. • An interesting t;oiiple of weeks: a • former hockey heft) and a Quebec politician -have matte fools -of - thettnelve,-; • - .And even if their continents have been taken -out " of context or misinterpreted Hull Hull . and Landry should hate known such statements would cause •cont>'oversy' Smarten • up.' guys. these are the 1990s.' not the 1590s: - .. . sometimes sounded as if he would like to send many of them back on the next plane. in 1994, before being elected premier, Harris said. Ontario was "getting too many from other countries who are coming here for a free ride" and denounced immigrant "freeloaders." There was some truth to what he said, but he failed to ring it with enough reservations, so it hurt all visible minorities. After becoming premier, when demonstrators protested his cuts in services Harris was quick to pick out and sneer at marchers from "special in- terest groups -- Iraqis and -Iranians" as if such immigrants once accepted here do not have the same rights to demonstrate politically as other Canadians: Harris leaped to say that Ontario would not welcome refugees who fled tyrannous Middle East countries, as requested by the United Na- tions, and that countries should deal with their own criminals, although none had committed a crime,' and displayed lack of understanding of refugees generally. Gifts from Harris? Ohe of Harris's first acts as premier was to abolish the former New Democrat government's employment equity law. which required compa- nies to hire work forces Seflecting the propor- tion of visible minorities in their community and replace it with voluntary guidelines that do little to ensure minorities get jobs. • - Harris also quickly restored the right of police to swear an oath to the Queen, which some visi- ble minorities had pushed the NDP to abolish as a relic of white colonialism. Studies continue to show that non -whites have more difficulty finding work, have to ac- cept more menial jobs despite having skills and . earn less than whites, but Harris's government has not expressed much concern. , The Tories, unlike other parties, have never taken up the cudgels for visible minorities when, as has happened, they were harshly treat- ed by police. Harris planned. in his throne 'speech to criti- cize the federal government for allowing immi- grants who had been ordered deported to collect welfare while appealing, but dropped. it fearing . he might be seen as attacking all immigrants. fylulticuituralism -- helping minorities pre - 'serve their cultures -- had been a Major, theme in policies of governments of all parties for three decades.. '• But Harris has talked about it so little that the New Deniocrat attorney -general of British Co- lymbia, Ujjal Dosanjh. protested that "in places like Ontariti the word multiculturalism is talked about only in secret societies underground," and that the Harris government does not Men- tion or promote Harris is suddenly becoming more enthusias- tic about visible minorities becau' se. studies show that their vote- is increasing 'much faster than that of the rest of the population. • The -most recent says visible minorities'com- prise one-third of the residents of. greater To- ronto, although only 16 per cent of the provir'lcc as a whole. Since the Toronto area•provides one-third of the total seats in the legislature, Harris will at- tend a lot 'More celebrations and probably take a few gifts. • "