TIME TO DUMB-DOWN THE ADULTS TOO
Story: ONTARIO – $9M more for Adult Education
I have notes for this story, but it will take me days to weave it together . . .
1 Big adult education lobby needing jobs, consultancies, more venues for pet theories
2 Much Adult Ed has a decided Whole-Language approach, holistic, social justice oriented
3 Refugees, young and old, should learn the Whole-Language way (not phonics) to fit into rest of society.
4 Grade 6 Reading Level is ideal. Propaganda theory claims this as best to keep a democracy in line.
5 With new Liberal government in Federal politics, more $ will be available for adult education and refugee settlement. Maybe even Canadian Council on Learning will be restored, axed by Harper. This is just priming the pump; besides, it’s a model for others.
6 The international 21st Century Learning and workforce development plans are being well organized. ON needs to stay with the flow. Story: Nov 2013 – Wynne says ON needs to move beyond 3Rs, to “creativity, collaboration, community and critical thinking”.
7 What’s the use to keep bringing forth these absurdities? Outraged citizens certainly don’t count. Why, NOTHING works to counter bad government. Even the voice of reason and vast amounts of data and proof of waste and corruption do little to sway governments. Look at these three latest reports from Attorneys General:
ONTARIO: http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/robyn-urback-auditor-general-report-confirms-whats-wrong-with-ontarios-liberals-everything
Dec ’15 “ . . . The breadth of mismanagement detailed in those 770 pages . . . is sloughed off as business as usual . . . Each mess-up is competing for airtime, so none of them gets their due. Perhaps that’s why this government seems to think itself “invincible.”
NOVA SCOTIA: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1324678-bennett-do-over-overdue-for-muddled-education-system
Nov ’15 – Paul Bennett’s take on the NS AG’s report: “Student performance data in the AG’s report confirm that it continues to be mediocre at best. One out of three students overall is failing to meet the ‘provincial standard’ in Grades 3, 4 and 6 literacy and mathematics … It may be time to turn the system upside down with major structural reforms that ensure a more effective and democratically accountable school system.”
BC: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/aboriginal-students-face-racism-of-low-expectations-in-b-c-schools
Nov ’15 AG’s report “ . . . found a “racism of low expectations” in B.C. public schools . . . Aboriginal students’ high school graduation rate is just 62 per cent, compared to 87 per cent for non-aboriginal students in the province.”
This lack of accountability is appalling. Caring citizens just shake their heads in sorrow.