Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jun 2006 Source: St. Albert Gazette (CN AB) Copyright: 2006 St. Albert Gazette Contact: http://www.stalbertgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2919 Author: Christopher Connelly Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) TEEN VANDALISM, DRUG USE CAN BEST BE CHALLENGED BY ESTABLISHING A STRONG SCHOOL COMMUNITY Mr. Larry Dick, principal of Paul Kane High School, hit the nail squarely on the head in a May 27 Gazette article "Schools in the red" when he blamed the provincial government, namely the Ministry of Education, for the shortcomings in secondary education not only here in St. Albert, but across the province. He cited our province's notorious financial acclaim and questioned the Klein administration's unwillingness to provide the necessary funding. I will take it a step further in frankly stating the Progressive Conservative government in this province is completely unresponsive to the Albertan youth and their education. Ideas raised by opposition members in the legislative assembly (such as Ray Martin's discussion of a junior kindergarten plan, or Jack Flaherty's repeated criticism of poorly constructed class-size target initiatives and Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Exams, to name only a handful) have been caught up in the backwash of the hurricane that is the democratic deficit in this province. These issues may well have been discussed if our assembly was in session for more than a couple of weeks at a time, but unfortunately, it would seem for the time being the entire provincial bureaucracy is on the autopilot of standing orders. The entire education system is in desperate need of an overhaul. Elementary school students are stuffed into desks/classrooms for large portions of the day at an age where their physical development should perhaps take precedence. Junior high school students are entrapped in a pre-pubescent/post-pubescent prison reigned by no less than a social entity of martial law. High school students see their favourite optional courses scrapped in favour of the essentials (given the pass rate for Pure Math 30 in this province, I think it might well be considered a non-essential at this point). Which brings us to the title synthesis, as the Gazette and the Edmonton Journal have been flooded with articles concerning youth vandalism, methamphetamine use, hooliganism, rioting, alcoholism, the lack of funding in our schools and the increase in class sizes. Please do not dismiss this as a leftist rant (despite its appearance) and take this commentary to heart. The lack of a strong foundation for youth in the guise of a school community is the primary direct cause of the "boredom" which leads them to violent behaviour and drug use. Ignorance of this correlation will not lead to its dismissal, despite your best efforts. Christopher Connelly St. Albert - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman