Monday, November 05, 2007

Time for Quality Education

One unfortunate consequence of Ontario PC leader John Tory's ill-fated "faith-based" school initiative, is that it will be a long, long time before any politician talks about education reform.

And that's too bad, because our educational system does need reform.

For one thing, parents need the chance to have more choice when it comes to schooling, through a voucher system and Charter Schools.

Providing a little more competition would also make the public school system more accountable and efficient.

But while the politicians won't be talking about these issues, there is one group that will: The Society for Quality Education.

The SQE is a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to significantly improving student learning in Canada and to improving our education system.

And it's certainly an organization which all Canadians who believe in educational choice should support.

16 comments:

Iain G. Foulds said...

... Comrade Gerry... I hope you are not questioning our good communist education system... with good unionised, government employees as teachers.

Iain G. Foulds said...

... What we need is a good communist food-care system. After all, we can't just have farmers, seed and fertiliser companies, equipment manufacturers, transportation companies, and retail grocers all chasing the all-mighty buck.
... Only the rich would have food!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

And Comrade Gerry, don't forget the "pedagogical benefits to combined grades."

Record.

Life is good in Ontarioistan.

Anonymous said...

The primary goal of our education system is to pay teachers a lot of money and we get what we pay for - overpaid teachers.

Their union, along with other Ontario unions, own premier McGuinty. That buys Ontario 'labour peace' apparently, but don't expect too much from the kids, they're not even a secondary consideration.

Anonymous said...

ha! quality education in Ontario? You must have mistaken us for any western province.

if this society is anything like the people for education.....been there done that...waste of time.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a libertarian. Never have been, never will be. But when it comes to the issue of education, then damm!t, I'm a libertarian all the way.

Let's bring on freedom of choice in education!

Anonymous said...

My Ontario Comrades:

Whine, whine, whine!

Simple! Pony up the dough, and send your kids to private schools or home school your kids.

We expect far too much of our public schools as it is.

Ironically, the public teachers in Ontario have a wicked corporate pension plan. Didn't they just buy BCE? They have much better things to do than worry about your little brats...

Anonymous said...

right. we expect everything from our public education system except actually EDUCATING children. Perhaps if we(meaning parents, employers, post-secondary institutions)could see beyond the McGuinty smoke and mirrors and demand something more than character education, and teaching kids how to be dependent on the state and/or raise funds for same, we might have a shot at reform.

Otherwise, the education sun seems to rise and set with whatever happens in the urban boards, with little notice of what's going on elsewhere in the province.

Anonymous said...

no organization will achieve true reform in Ontario education unless there's a gov't in power prepared to listen and act.

What success has any grassroot organization had in this province since Harris? None that I can think of with the exception of the People for Education group which gets grants from the gov't. No hope of them ever challenging the status-quo that I can see.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree Gerry. Choice is the only way to force competition. It's really the only way to begin to change this dysfunctional monster of an education system. Ontario needs someone who isn't afraid to go the distance and stay the course. And you're right about SQE. They are an excellent organization. I have them linked on my new education web site. Come check it out where political correctness is not tolerated and common sense prevails. No goose stepping allowed.
www.theschoolsweneed.com

Anonymous said...

You're preaching to the converted here folks. The age of the reformers is approaching 60 with no reserves of younger parents following.

Big news out of the TDSB is their move to create all black schools so that African/Carribbean heritage can be preserved and to better educate those kids. Call it what you want, but it's a choice in my book.

The irony is that when I heard it talked about on the news at noon, Mr. McGuinty has said he was willing to consider this move. What? What makes this sector less segregationist than the Jews and Muslim communities that John Tory wanted to bring into the fold?

Has McGuinty pulled a fast one on us again?

I think SQE has a good foundation but they need to reach outside of their comfort zone and refresh a sometimes stuffy image and outreach to a younger audience.

Anonymous said...

Agree with heather that the SQE org. is pretty good. A blog of their own would make them even better.

Anonymous said...

Education?? What's that??

Children?? What are those??

I thought the goal was to have a wickedly, diversified pension plan with the largest corporate takeover in Canadian history under their belt, great benefits and the summer months off.

Man, I am glad that I don't live in Ontario -- you people have your priorities completely screwed up.

Anonymous said...

There are three stakeholders in education: students and their parents, teachers and their unions, and the community at large with government as their representative.

Guess which one is the 300 kg. gorilla in the room?

The employees have captured the education system and it is run according to their needs, not the consumers of the service or the taxpayers. Liberal governments just cave and take direction from their nominal employees instead of giving direction.

Clients who are ill-served have no recourse if they lack the money for private schools or the time/ability to home school.

Anonymous said...

Tarkus:

I believe that individuals have more power than they think that they do, and probably moreso than think tanks/unions.

I also believe that all Governments do not really listen to anything except media/polls these days.

If one person cares enough about an issue to send open letters to the real powers that be, and say... cc this message to every journalist, media outlet and news magazine on the continent, things could change.

However, it's only your children's futures/education that is at stake ...

If we are going to continue to have public services in Canada, we as individuals need to demand better...

Anonymous said...

Past various anonymous posters said:

"I believe that individuals have more power than they think that they do, and probably moreso than think tanks/unions."
and
"I think SQE has a good foundation but they need to reach outside of their comfort zone and refresh a sometimes stuffy image and outreach to a younger audience."
and this:
"no organization will achieve true reform in Ontario education unless there's a gov't in power prepared to listen and act.

What success has any grassroot organization had in this province since Harris? None that I can think of with the exception of the People for Education group which gets grants from the gov't. No hope of them ever challenging the status-quo that I can see."

Individuals only make a difference when they act as a big group--market forces in action folks.

SQE for all it's "stuffiness" is the one grassroots organizations that has been around for the longest.
Go ahead and start a grass roots organization and see how successful you are. Without money you will go nowhere fast.