Party Comparisons

To reporters, budget announcements mean at least a week’s worth of stories covering not only what the budget said, but also stories from opposition that take a woulda, coulda, shoulda form.

One of the roles of the opposition is to be critical of the current government, and this, I’ll admit in theory is a good idea; where I have the problem is when their own policies are no better.

Wanting to know how they stand up against each other, I looked at the various party platforms to see for myself. Below you’ll find what I’ve found about the education platforms of the various B.C. political parties, and the links to the full documents for your reading “pleasure”.

B.C. Liberals

The current government outlines its platform in a document it calls the “Six Pillars for a Strong BC,” number four of which is “Improving and protecting vital public services,” which education falls under apparently.

Highlights include:
- Record-high funding for education
- Annual funding for education at all levels will go up by over $800 million by 2011/12. K-12 education funding will increase by 35 per cent by 2011/12 over 2000/01 levels, despite a continued drop in student enrolment, with 53,000 fewer students today than in 2001. Per pupil funding will rise to historic high levels.
- Introducing all day, voluntary five-year-old kindergarten
- Increasing access to post-secondary education with seven new universities.

B.C. NDP

Unlike all the other parties, the NDP had no party platform that I could see on the official website. I did find an article in which the platform was described.

Education highlights include:
- Additional resources and supports for K-12 students: $50 million in 2009/10, followed by $75 million and $100 million in the following two school years.
 - Accelerated seismic upgrades: $40 million in each of the next two years.
- Improved affordability of post-secondary education: $20 million next year followed by $70 million in each of the two following years.
- Increased accessibility to skills training: $3 million in 2009-10, rising to $6 million in each of the next two years.

Green Party of B.C.

Simply put:
 - Expand Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language programs

B.C. Conservatives

The party describes itself as the alternative to the Liberals and NDP, and is relatively new to provincial politics. Number six, education, of its “10 POINT PLATFORM” describes its plans.
- Provide Education Funding Based on an Equal Per-Student Funding Formula Payable to the School of Choice
- Repeal the Corren Agreement and Restore the Principle of Parental Rights in the Education System for BC Children
- Provide Tuition Assistance for All Qualifying Post Secondary Students

 

ON EDUCATION PLATFORMS ALONE, WHICH PARTY WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?

Libraries and Bookstores

I walk in through the large doors and inhale…ahhh…immediate peace.

Libraries and bookstores have a certain smell, and a weird ability to help me relax. I can wander in and out of the shelves without touching a single book and still feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. With that being said, I don’t think there’s ever been a time that I’ve managed to escape empty-handed. (It’s not an addiction I swear!)

To avoid this “OMG I want all these books” thing, I’ve enrolled in a book club. And no, not like the Oprah type where a bunch of people read the same book, this is more along the lines of a CD club where you get an introductory offer and then have to meet a minimum obligation of purchases.

I joined with the intention of saving money…but that was naive of me. While I may have cut back on my impulse buying, I definitely haven’t stopped buying. I fulfilled my year obligation in the first couple of months!

As geeky as I feel saying “I’m in a book club,” I love that I’m growing my book collection, but miss the countless hours I spent roaming the aisles of books.

Where do YOU purchase your books? Any tips for an “addict” like me?

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

I may be a day late but I thought I’d take the time and honour author and illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel, who if still living, would have been 106 yesterday.

When I think Seuss I think: rhyme, bright colors and ridiculous characters.

(Picture Courtesy of the Dyersville Library)

I think Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Grinch, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and Horton Hears a Who (the books, not the film adaptations.)

I remember the hard-cover books in colors orange, green and blue. I can remember reciting them without barely looking at the words. I can remember reading them to my younger sister and I can remember the loud noise they made when they hit the floor every morning falling from my bed.

Seuss was my first book series and I’d like to thank you Mr. Geisel, for introducing me to a love of books!

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SEUSS BOOK?

Something to Think About

THE FACTS:
(Source: ABC Canada)

• Four out of 10 adult Canadians, age 16 to 65 – representing 9 million Canadians – struggle with low literacy. 
• Less than 10 per cent of Canadians who could benefit from literacy upgrading programs actually enroll. 
• Research shows children have a better chance of becoming fully literate adults if reading is encouraged in the home. 
• Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI, New Brunswick, Quebec and Nunavut have more people with low literacy than the national average. 
• Low literacy levels cost businesses $2.5 billion annually in lost productivity
• Greater literacy and numeracy skills improve chances of individuals finding work and attaining promotions on the job. 

WHICH OF THESE IS MOST SURPRISING? OR ARE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL?

Just for Fun

Even the best make mistakes.

(Source: http://www.englishfailblog.com/2008/10/02/ironic-fail/)

Olympic Literacy

The games are upon us! (And I’m in Vancouver in the middle of it all.)

The Olympics combine sports and nations, and according to ABC Canada, the games are a great way to learn together as a family, while combining literacy skills.

Try them out and let me know how they work!

(Courtesy of ABC Canada)

1. Find out where the Olympic torch has travelled by looking at a map. You can practice your numeracy skills by calculating the distance travelled.

2. Write a note of congratulations and send it to your favourite Canadian athlete.

3. Keep track of the number of gold, silver and bronze medals won by Canadian athletes in a spreadsheet to improve numeracy and computer literacy skills.

4. Find out more about Vancouver. Read about popular tourist attractions in British Columbia like the Rocky Mountains.

5. Read about interesting Olympic sports, such as bobsledding and skeleton.

6. Sing the Canadian national anthem to cheer on the teams.

7. Record all of the new competition records.

8. Research information about your favourite athlete; find out where they grew up, how they train, what their favourite food is, etc.

9. Invite friends and family to take part in your own competition – why not hold a Math Challenge?

10. Collect Olympic commemorative coins and add up your total.

11. Write trivia inspired by the Olympics, ex. Clara Hughes is the only Canadian athlete to win a medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

12. Learn the history of the Olympics: origins, past and future host cities, and then locate these host cities on a map.

13. During timed events, calculate the difference between the top athletes’ performances to improve numeracy.

14. Identify all of the colours of the Olympic rings and match each to the flag of a participating country.

15. Find out your family’s heritage and follow the progress of your ancestors’ native countries.

16. Pick a sport that you are least familiar with and read up on its rules.

17. Spell the name of one participating country that starts with each letter of the alphabet.

ARE YOU SURPRISED BY ANY OF THESE SUGGESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS THAT ARE NOT LISTED HERE?

School Amalgamations

Through grade school I attended six schools. Not because my family moved around alot, but rather because schools were closing. 

Grade 7 was the most dramatic as at the end of the year, my school, St. Bon’s, would be closing its doors and I was being zoned to a different school than my friends. 

My parents told me it wasn’t a big deal, that they would just transfer me. While I believed them, I couldn’t help but worry that it wouldn’t work and they (the school board) wouldn’t allow it…And they didn’t. 

The last day of school there were tears shed by all, myself included. My friends and I had a great summer but as September neared I couldn’t help but fear that I would lose these friends as they all went on to the same school and I didn’t. 

It was the first day of eighth grade; I walked into a foreign building where I recognized no one. The rest of the morning is a blur, and as I rushed down the stairs and outside at lunch, tears rushed down my face as I ran home, vowing never to return. 

The following day I started at a new school with old familiar faces. 

Here in Kamloops, school closures have been in the media since September if not earlier. Rural schools are fighting for their lives as larger urban schools are being reconfigured for optimum use. 

Amalgamations happen in every district, funding cuts forces boards to make tough decisions on which schools are more important. Fewer schools, fewer expenses, larger class sizes, same education? 

ARE AMALGAMATIONS HINDERING THE EDUCATION OF OUR YOUTH?