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The Citizen, 1998-09-09, Page 5The Short of it By Bonnie Gropp A Final Thought One thing worse than being on the wrong -side of an argument is being in the middle of it. International Scene By Raymond Canon Arthur Black THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1998. PAGE 5. Caution: nap in progress I love sleep because it is both pleasant and safe so use. Fran Leibowitz I have a confession to make: I sleep on the job. Always have. "Way back in my youth, when I worked as a tar-and-gravel roofer, I snatched cat naps behind the chimney when the boss wasn't looking. Later, as a seaman on a rusty tanker lugging crude oil from Venezuela to Halifax, I liked to creep off to the afterdeck and catch 40 winks in the belly of the pythonesque rope lines piled there in huge, fragrant coils. I can still smell the seductive scent of hemp and oak they exuded, as I dropped off. Over the years, I've slept in delivery vans and broom closets; on hard-backed chairs and board room tables — almost always at the company's expense. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I achieved the luxury of my very own cubicle with a door on it, that I made a point of shelling out a few bucks for a Salvation Army chesterfield and took to snoozing on the job in .earnest — not to mention comfort. Hockey stars get Porsche convertibles for The Education Scene The longer I watch the machinations taking place in the province's education system, the more I can sympathize with parents whose children are currently somewhere in the system. Many of them must be totally confused about what or who is right, and I suspect that a lot of children will be sent off this September wondering what horrible things are going to take place, My education took place under what might be described as the "old-fashioned" or traditional method; that of my children was during the reign of the progressive advocates. In looking back over what I was subjected to, I found little to criticize. The teachers could mainly be described as "battle-axes" which was probably a good thing, given all the unexpected acts of which we were capable. In Spain .we listened to a lot of propaganda but, given that the Franco dictatorship was very much alive, that was probably to be expected. In Canada I remember the effort the teachers made in English classes and many a time I was kept in after school to work on some particular point of grammar or spelling. I owe what command Ihave of English today mainly to these teachers and I decided to go back once to tell them that. At any rate I have been following the efforts of Tony Blair and his government in England to come to grips with somewhat the contract perk. Demi Moore demands her own hair stylist and a personal - trainer for all her movie shoots. I get a lumpy, second-hand couch by my desk. Not that I'm complaining. On the contrary, I consider myself to be singularly blessed. I know that I'm luckier than 95 per cent of all the half-awake, couchless office drones I know. I also know that I am — for once — ahead of my time. It's too bad we-North Americans attach such an ugly stigma to the concept of on-the- job naps. Other cultures aren't nearly so short-sighted. The Spanish and Italians figured out the benefits of recharging one's batteries at mid- day some centuries ago — and invented the siesta. Ingenious! A three, sometimes four-hour break in the middle of the working day. Time enough to have a decent, unhurried lunch, to go for a leisurely stroll, to chew the fat with some friends, read a book, do a crossword, snuggle with your sweetie and — most important — snag some sack time. We need it, you know. Scientists reckon that at least 50 per cent of the population nowadays is grievously sleep-deprived. Most of us could use at least an hour of unconsciousness more than we're currently same problem as we are experiencing in Ontario. It has been fascinating. The British are not happy with what has been turned out in the education system; there are strong teachers' unions and they are concerned about the rising cost. In Ontario we had the Hall-Dennis Report, in Britain it was the Plowden Report. One of the main goals of the latter was to abandon- the "whole class chalk and talk" of the traditional era and embrace instead progressive teaching. The teachers were to spend less time talking to the whole class and pupils" wereto spend more time alone or in groups, carrying out, at their own pace, projects related to learning. Such things as phonics were frequently dropped because they were too dull and thus hampered progress. Now many of the tenets of the Plowden Report are being dropped because they have not achieved their goals. When criticism of these methods was first raised during the Margaret Thatcher era, it was greeted with outrage by the teachers' unions. They objected to such criticisms as, "they seem to produce excellent results when they arc in the hands of well-qualified teachers but are more dubious in their effects when they arc not." At any rate Mrs. Thatcher dropped the issue and it is Tony Blair who has brought it back in full force, this time with more far- reiching results. The Blair government was not impressed with how well British students did in maths and sciences when stacked up against other Statistics compiled by researchers down in the U.S. indicate that on average, we're sleeping at least two hours less a night than our grandparents did. The results are depressingly obvious — a legion of baggy- eyed, under-performing serfs who aren't nearly as alert or as energetic as they ought to be on the job. Those same American scientists reckon that drowsy, yawning workers are costing the U.S economy $70 billion a year in lost productivity. Our biological cousins aren't that stupid. Apes and monkeys may never have figured out how to come down out of the trees, but they're smart enough to sleep between 10 and 12 hours a day. Olympic athletes have seen the light (or dark) as well. They make a point of bedding down at least eight hours every night — and they make sure they take a 90-minute nap each day as well. Some day, one hopes, smart employers will grab a clue and set aside guilt-free nap rooms for their employees. In the meantime, you and I could function as counter-insurgents. We could strike a blow for listless workers everywhere — and plant the seeds for workplace revolution in our own bosses' minds. Do the Big Kahuna a favour: nod off at your desk today. countries. Neither were we, for that matter. At any rate what Mr. Blair is putting in place in the school system over there would make me feel right at home since it resembles remarkably the system in which I grew up. Mr. Blair has stopped complaining that the problems of the system are due to a lack of money rather than the teaching methods or the way they were run. Inspectors these days are criticizing teachers for insufficient use of whole-class teaching, phonics or other traditional methods. I could go on but by now I think you get the point of what is taking place. Of course there are critics of the changes taking place, but what else is new? Associated as I have been with the teaching profession for so long,I am still careful in assessing statements about the current state of affairs, whether they be made by the ministry, the teachers' unions, or any other group. Far too often they turn out to be self-serving and all too frequently wide of the mark. When Fread different comments on the British educational scene, I am hard-put at times to realize that they arc all talking about the same system. Does that not sound familiar? Not all bad No news is good news. Were we, in this business, to put a slightly different intent on this adage, then take it to its most literal conclusion, the assumption would be that the only information to be considered newsworthy would be negative. There are some, I suppose, think this is what we believe. There have been criticisms from disgruntled customers over the years who do not want to hear the bad and sad stories from us. Unfortunately, as a 'news'paper the court cases, accident reports and police busts are a necessary evil for us. And from my perspective it can drag you down. I have often wondered how lawyers, judges and police officers keep from becoming intensely jaded dealing with the darker side of society on a daily basis. Because from my desk the negative stories can get a little wearing. However, my holiday break must have worked, because despite the heavy influx of typical full moon complaints last week, not only did nothing get me down, but I suddenly became aware of the many good news items out there. Though some were a result of human tragedy, they are nonetheless inspiring tales of remarkable courage and/or kindness. While watching a TV report on spinal cord injuries, I was not just impressed by the victims' gutsy determination, but also by the benevolence of complete strangers. One man, since his story was first told publically, has been receiving gifts and heartening messages from a couple he has never met. Likewise, the crash of Swiss Air Flight 111 is a story of profound human sadness. But before the last page is written there will be, I'm sure, uplifting chapters relating examples of charity and bravery, of people helping and caring for people. There are more familiar heroes, whose efforts require sacrifice by taking very personal stories and making them public in an effort to make others aware of specific issues. For example John Davidson made a journey this summer in honour of his son, Jesse,,a victim of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Enroute to his goal of $10 million for genetic research, Davidson's selfless endevour was rewarded by financial support from the many he met as he passed through towns, cities, and villages. Sometimes regular folk must stand in the unwelcome brightness of the limelight for their cause. In just a few weeks, cancer survivors will lead off annual Terry Rox Runs in their communities to help raise funds for cancer research. And it's not just the high profile stories that can restore our faith in humanity. There are examples constantly of neighbour helping neighbour. The hand extended in friendship to someone alone. A kind word spoken in just the right way at just the right time. Sacrificing in some small way to make a big difference in the life of someone else. Or a hug when the pain is so great that there is really nothing in the world can make it better other than to know there are those who care. Every day we arc inundated with sordid tales of people hurting and killing, of cheats and beggars. But amidst it all, if we just pay attention, there are wonderful stories that prove some news is good news. signing. John Travolta gets a Lear jet as a getting.