In more ways than one…

The other day on our way to playgroup, I saw this toilet on the sidewalk.  I had my camera with me and thought, Hmmm maybe this would make a good blog post about potty training in the city.  But Lydia has potty trained with ease and there really isn’t much to say about it.  Thinking more about this toilet on the sidewalk though, leads me to the political state of our city and province.  Municipal elections are next month.  Once again the prospects are not thrilling and I think it will be more of a process of elimination.  If the mayor is re-elected, we may just pack up and move.

As for provincial politics….that toilet is where I would like to shove the Liberal’s new plans for both education and health care.

Kelly Lamrock, minister of education, keeps refering to us as being elite and wealthy because our oldest is in french immersion.  Guess he hasn’t checked my bank account.  I keep looking but there aren’t any long lost funds popping up.

He’s also called us emotional.  He’d better watch out.  Emotions fuel fire.  The more he speaks, the more he adds to the fire and he will get burned.  If not now, at election time.

Maybe.  So last Thursday, hubby took a vacation day and we took the kids to Fredericton to the legislature.  We were there to protest the new education plan for New Brunswick.  Our Minister of Education has decided to eliminated the early immersion program (in the only bilingual province) and implement a new intensive french program in place of core french.  On the drive home we were discussing the day, wondering if our protest, this was our second, had made a difference.  We decided that it would be an injustice to our kids if we just sat back and did nothing.  What would that say to them?  So even if the protest didn’t accomplish anything politiaclaly, it would show the kids that we care about them. 

Today, the Telegraph Journal published this article.    http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/256396#

Grit turning against Grit in language battle

MEGAN O’TOOLE
TELEGRAPH JOURNAL

Published Wednesday April 2nd, 2008

Appeared on page A1

The Tantramar Liberal riding association in Sackville is joining a growing chorus calling for the province to re-examine its decision to axe early French immersion.

The association has passed a motion condemning the province’s move and asking Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock to reconsider.

The organization will be meeting with Lamrock to discuss the matter, possibly as early as next week, confirmed president Janet Fotheringham.

She was tight-lipped about what specific concerns would be brought to the table, but said the meeting would provide a good platform for discussion.

“In Tantramar we’re very strongly in favour of French immersion,” Fotheringham said Tuesday. “We certainly don’t like to see it go. If there’s a way out of (this decision), then we’d like to find it.”

The Tantramar association is not alone in its lack of support for the Liberal government’s changes to the French second language system.

Last week, Bob Bernier of Millbrook, near Sussex, resigned as president of the Kings East Liberal Association, saying the decision on early immersion drastically changed his view of the provincial government.

“I no longer want to be affiliated with a party which will go down in history as the party responsible for the demise of French immersion in the province,” Bernier wrote in a statement explaining his decision.

Conrad Pitre, president of the Nigadoo-Chaleur riding association in Beresford, also blasted the move to kill early immersion, calling it unfair.

“We’re certainly not satisfied with the decision that was made,” Pitre said. “We support total French immersion.”

Members of his riding association have broached these concerns with their local MLA, he added.

Since it was announced in the legislature last month, the elimination of early immersion has spurred protests across the province, and complaints have been pouring in to the Ombudsman’s office.

Lamrock has refused to back down on the controversial decision, maintaining the current system has been failing students and bogging down literacy rates.

Starting in September, all early French immersion programs in the province will be scrapped. Students will begin an intensive French program in Grade 5, with an option the following year to enter late immersion or post intensive French.

Those currently enrolled in early immersion and core French in Grades 1 through 4, however, will be able to continue in those programs under a grandfather clause.

April 1st, 2008
Wow things have changed a lot in the past month.
I have started listening to CBC radio, reading the news, getting involved in politics, protesting and writing letters.
I have to admit I have never had an interest in any of these things before but there are huge stakes on the line. The education of my children. This is actually keeping me up at night and consuming a good part of my thoughts and daily conversations. What are the issues? Just google New Brunswick, Kelly lamrock and early French Immersion.
I’ll explain more later but I’ve got to go relax before I hit the hay. If you can’t wait for an update, just check out http://educationinnb.wordpress.com/