The Fraser Institute released its elementary school report today and some of our local schools didn’t fare very well on their scale of achievement. Now whether you like or dislike the idea of the Fraser Institute’s methodology of statistic gathering, the issue does give us a chance to discuss our educational system in the Northwest.
And frankly, anything that can take us away from the juvenile ramblings in the latest Wasteland forums can’t be all bad. (Cmon’ folks using the f bomb and using refernces to bodily fluids and functions doesn’t really represent your arguments all that well) Â
I did up a thing on my blog (gratuitous plug) about the report and have a bunch of links that might be worthwhile for folks looking to learn more about the issue, CKNW did a pretty interesting job of discussing the Fraser Institute’s reports, with guests on boths sides of the issue (I have a link to their audio vault for those wishing to listen in)
I have linked the actual report features in the story as well and also provided the Daily News’ coverage of it today.
An item of note, the author of the report Peter Cowley will actually be in Prince rupert on Wednesday to talk to the public at CHSS at 7:30 pm, might be an interesting meeting to take in, if you’re interested in education in the area.
At any rate, take some time from dumping on each other in the wasteland and take a look at an issue that should be of concern to everyone in the Northwest. Â
I look forward to reading some of the comments from the fine folk of htmf about the state of education in the area.
Well if you’re interested in reading some of our comments how about you provide some of your own? It’s an interesting topic, but you do nothing more than point us to the facts and stand back. I can understand why you do so on your blog, but this is a forum and if you want opinions you generally start out by providing your own.
I find it amusing that you look down on those people posting in the wasteland. They may be “juvenile ramblings” but at least they are posting. By doing so they are keeping these forums alive. If everyone resorted to stiring the pot and walking away, we wouldn’t get much cooking now would we?
Wouldn’t quite look at it as “looking down” on those posting to the wasteland, it’s more of finding their comments not particularly useful in the context of whatever it is they’re trying to achieve. I mean if resorting to the likes of showing of your talents at swearing and suggesting violence to one another is the best you can do… well more power to ya’ll
As for the school reports, in the midst of my little blurbon the blog, is my take on the high school reports, not much change in my opinion on the lower grades. My point in the post was to generate some thought about the issue by providing some resource material.
With the resources the teachers have, they are trying their asses off to get kids to learn. But from what I’ve seen, (and I see and talk with a LOT of teens) is a lot of them think school is a waste of their time, and they don’t want to try. That and the fact that there are a LOT of lazy kids who would rather hang around the freakin mall and downtown all day instead of going to school.
It’s no wonder the grades are so low… there are only so many students that want to excel, and want to learn, vs the ones that don’t give a shit.