Monday, August 16, 2010

Can't they both lose?

Government educational bureaucracy vs. teachers' union.

I love this quote from a related article:

Union locals around the province have also proposed that the federation endorse a call for more mandatory physical activity each day, voice-care workshops for teachers in music, gym and language, and that the curriculum include information about the labour movement.

Less time on math and literacy, more time singing "There is Power in a Union".

There seems to be an abundance of time for taking field trips to the ice slides during Winterlude and demonstrating how to put condoms on bananas, but apparently when they have to prepare for some math and literacy tests, the cry goes up that "It's taking away from precious teaching time!!"

What are they doing (or not doing) every day in school that necessitates this arduous, extra-special time of preparation for basic skill testing?

2 comments:

  1. One of many money quotes from the Citizen article:

    “They are starting to think of school as a series of hoops to jump through,” one participant was quoted as saying.

    Uhhmmm...Public Education has been exactly that since, like, it was invented. No one has cared about actual "Education" (pursuit of truth and all that rubbish) since the Mid-evil ages... except for some counter-cultural educational rebels who need not be named.

    Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ontario+teachers+want+moratorium+Grades+standardized+tests/3405302/story.html#ixzz0x21toOqn

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  2. We often hear the lament that the student-to-teacher ratio is too high, or that students' individual needs are ignored. These are a couple of the reasons home schooling appeals to me. One teacher for every three students and the curriculum is finely tuned for each of her charges!

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