"For the past 50 years, Canada has run a program whereby retired teachers travel overseas to teach in the developing world. The retired teachers are all volunteers.In the 50 years of its existence, it has sent them to such places as India, Mongolia, Sierra Leone - places which desperately need to educate their children.The Canadians not only teach children, they teach teachers.They focus on math and science but also on student discipline and health programs. They also help local schools in developing countries create their own curricula designed for local needs.In short, the volunteer teacher program is a model of how the developed west can help the Third World.But the government has announced it is killing the program. It has given no clear reason. It can't be money. The costs are peanuts - about a million dollars a year over five years. The Canadian Teachers Federation picks up about 40 per cent of the costs.The cancellation hasn't gone unnoticed in the developing or for that matter the developed world. It does not put the country in a favorable light." Michael Enwright 2011-02-20
Doesn't our Prime Minister just leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling? Doesn't his long term vision for Canada in a global world make you want to stand proud as a Canadian? In a world where we are told that education is a marker of better life, better health, better popluation control, doesn't our Prime Minister just fill you with pride?
....Not.
There are many similar programs that have been cut over the past few years, some of them cost even less than that one. It just makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteThis blog posting reminded me of Yann Martel's attempts to engage the PM in a two person book club. No bites from Stephen Harper, but the result is a series of essays called "What is Stephen Harper reading?" for book lovers of all stripes.
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