By Mario deSantis, May 18, 1999

It was encouraging to read the headline of last Saturday paper "Education inquiry sought." Finally, a sincere voice defending the educational rights of our students was being heard. Ted Merriman, Chair of a Saskatoon children's advocacy group, slammed the planning of a multimillion dollar education centre in Saskatoon. The education providers, in this case the Saskatoon public school's board, are not serving the interest of our children to learn, instead, they plan how they can feel comfortable in a new magnificent building and make their own creative and critical decisions affecting our children.

While our schools have a lack of textbooks, pencils, and our children eat on the floor because there is no lunchroom, our privileged board members quarrel about deciding if to build a $10 or a $16 million centre. This is the state of affairs in Saskatchewan education, a discriminatory education system geared for the immediate benefits of big commercial interests, based on the vested interest of teaching providers and against the learning interest of our children at large.

A Resounding BRAVO for Mr. Merriman and a reminder that educational changes come from the hearts of people and not from the privileged decisions made in the Ivory Towers of magnificent buildings.

References

[1] Education inquiry sought, by Darren Bernhardt, The StarPhoenix, May 15, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

[2] Lack of Vision in Saskatchewan Education, by Mario deSantis, March 16, 1999, published in the North Central Internet News

[3] Systems Dynamics in Education: Failures of the Current System, by Mario deSantis, March 21, 1999, published in the North Central Internet News

[4] Few Words on the Synchrotron, Politics and Education in Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, April 7, 1999, published in the North Central Internet News

[5] Refer to pertinent articles published in the North Central Internet News and listed at the site http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/authors/desantis.html