tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776222898849461648.post2893808122485590953..comments2023-05-30T06:59:26.493-07:00Comments on Day by Day Discoveries: Taking Control of Their SchoolingDawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05895897568006441289noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776222898849461648.post-33821773838425765062008-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:002008-02-11T15:00:00.000-08:00Dawn, thanks for reminding us about all the Home-s...Dawn, thanks for reminding us about all the Home-schoolers. In my opinion home schooling is great if it is the parent(s) first choice and is successful. What worries me are the kids who are home-schooled just because there is no public school that meets the parents needs and private is too expensive. Catholics are rarely denied a faith-based education in Ontario while other faiths have to pay for private or forgo faith-based. For many families, secular public education is not an option and the cost of private or home-schooling creates a lot of stress.Gilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01631006950423899540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776222898849461648.post-52047053515803318132008-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:002008-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00Gila - Or even the choice not to go to school (see...Gila - Or even the choice not to go to school (seeing as I'm a homeschooler). :) But really I agree with you and thank you for the information on the different types of school in Ontario. I think that's pretty exciting stuff and where more public school systems should be headed!Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05895897568006441289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776222898849461648.post-52562015728239095912008-02-10T18:12:00.000-08:002008-02-10T18:12:00.000-08:00Ontario funds over 100 specialty and alternative s...Ontario funds over 100 specialty and alternative schools including arts-based, sports-based, Native, behaviour management schools, an all-year school, work-at-your-own-pace schools, night schools, gifted programs within schools, a gay/lesbian/trangender high school, etc. In addition, we fully fund French Immersion, French, Catholic, French-Catholic, two Protestant schools and five Ukrainian Eastern Rite schools under Catholic school boards. McGuinty has pledged 100 more specialty schools including a new art-based high school next year in Etobicoke. The Catholic schools are even sub-specializing with Catholic-arts high schools!<BR/><BR/>Why this explosion of specialty and alternative schools? Because that’s what parents, kids and teachers are interested in! <BR/><BR/>I would suggest that many schools are not successful simply because they have a focus which is “valuable” to society. Rather, these schools are successful because the kids and staff want to be there, share a common interest and bond, engage the families and communities and have an incentive to succeed. Successful schools have successful students - kids who grow up with good self esteem to be productive members of society.<BR/><BR/>I cannot imagine a single specialty school where the children could not attend a regular local public school Mon-Fri and spend evenings and weekends focusing on their interests, be it language, arts, sports or religion. We all understand the convenience of having it all under one roof - but is the purpose of school funding to be merely convenient? School funding is for education - and interestingly enough, public/specialty/alternative schools all deliver.<BR/><BR/>So let’s stop judging each other’s interests in education. So long as the educational requirements are met, let’s support all viable forms of SCHOOL CHOICE!Gilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01631006950423899540noreply@blogger.com