Blogaround Toronto

Public Schools are Failing Us

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:10:08 GMT

The first five years of sending my kids to school, we sent them to Montessori school to give them a head start. But we planned to put our kids back into the public system when they started grade four.

That happened two years ago and my eldest did her grade four in Catholic school, which in Canada is part of the publicly funded school systems. I noticed at first that the kids spent very few hours in school. There was no extra-culicular school activities. None. Then after a few months, I noticed my 9 year old was learning the same material as my 7 year old who was in private school. I wasn't worried, as my daughter had lots of friends at school and that was most important to me. Then in the second half of the year, my eldest informed us that she preferred private as public was too easy for her and she missed the extra activities only available in the private school system.

This year we returned her to private school. Now she's really struggling. She is doing review of grade four work, but for her it's all new, since the public system was two years behind. I have to teach her fundamental math concepts that she skipped because of that one year in the public system.

Are you sending your kid to public school? If you are then they are two years behind by grade four. I wonder how far they are behind in grade twelve? The public system is a failure. They have failed your kids. They have failed you. We are looking at a two tier system, one for the rich and one for the poor. The rich kids will be smarter and it'll be difficult for people to exceed the class of their parents.

5 Rivers Pub, Brampton

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:17:37 GMT

Saturday night, I stopped by 5 Rivers Pub on the way home. It's located at Bovaird and Airport in Brampton in the heart of the middle eastern district (Bramladesh). The conventional thinking would be that such a pub wouldn't work in the middle of a far eastern district and it is the only pub, I know of, in that area. The pub was full. Completely full. They were standing outside in the Canadian cold. I didn't bother checking it out. I'll check it out off-hours.

http://www.5riverspubandgrill.com/

USD In, CDN Out

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:35:59 GMT

I'm paid in U.S. Funds. A week ago today, I was getting $1.01 on the exchange. Now I'm getting $1.24. I'm very happy, since I'm making 23% more than just one month ago. On the other hand, prices are gonna rise, especially on big ticket items like cars, recreational vehicles and TVs. Might be the time to buy.