A funny thing happened on the way to a comment
I was responding to a comment made by Outburst on my recent post regarding the issue of "Intelligent Design" being forced upon schools in the US. I realized that my comment was approaching dtrini-like proportions, so I thought I'd post it instead.
Outburst's comment was that Intelligent Design isn't science, so it shouldn't be taught in a science class.
My response:
"Agreed. A philosophy/sociology class is a far better venue for that kind of discussion.
May that sort of foolishness never happen here.
Of course, this is the same province where a kid scoring full marks on an oral French test (language, you perverts!) can lose 35% of his mark because he can't remember the "signs" that they've been teaching the kids. Yes, signs. As in, some kind of twisted sign language. Like a Hawaiian dance, or First Nations signing.
WTF???
Apparently this little gem was proposed by some folk singer (maybe its a CanCon requirement?) and the leftie morons who run the school boards are just eating this shit up.
I know this much: If I tried to flap my arms around while attempting to make myself understood in Montreal, I'd be banneed from the City for life! Rome? Well, that would be another story entirely.
(Um, what point was I trying to make with all this?)"
3 comments:
You forgot a few key points:
(1) this "program" was designed in British Columbia. Which is about as far away from our one true bilingual province as you can get;
(2) people in British Columbia (generally speaking) do NOT speak french. They speak organic vegan, but not french;
(3) the signs they learn are not official "sign language". Therefore, if a deaf francophone watched the kids, he'd think they were having seizures;
(4) The signs are there to help the children learn the vocab, which the Boy knew so well, he didn't need the signs. How can you penalize someone for that??
(5) The program has no built-in evaluation system, so teachers are constantly "desperate" (to quote a french teacher I know) to find a way to provide marks for the kids;
(6) The designer of this program - presumably while high on some BC Red - decided that the best way for children to communicate in french is to spend THE WHOLE YEAR learning the story of the 3 Little Pigs en francais avec des signes. I just can't see how knowing how to say "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin" in french will help them navigate Paris;
(7) High school french teachers are in knots because kids are showing up in their classes and they don't know ANYTHING but the words from the 3 Little Pigs. Drop-out rates in high school french classes are at an all time high. Most classes have no more than 7-10 students in the classes.
In a couple of years, the school boards will realize what a goat-fuck this program is and they'll got back to the "old" way of doing it. Just like the "new math" vs. the "old math".
K I'm done now. Sorry for the rant.
Actually, Ma, I feel the opposite way. I think it's vital for the kids to learn french. In fact, if I had to do it all over again, I think I'd put my child in French Immersion school, so they have the second language. If nothing else, it's good to stretch your brain learning a new language. What I hate is the way they're doing it now. It's bullshit and the kids aren't learning anything.
Also, we don't learn Quebecois french in schools. It's "international french". For example, we had to wish our teacher a "bon fin de semain" (international) and not a "bon weekend" (Quebec).
As for learning to speak English. Yah, it's rather key and I agree it'd make life a lot easier for them, but I can't imagine how difficult that would be, y'know? Toronto, especially, is a very multicultural city and has places like "Little Italy", "Little Portugal" or "Greektown". Most people from these countries who don't speak a lot of English can still function in their mothertongue. I don't know about you, but if I moved to Spain and there was an area that spoke mostly English, that's where I'd be.
Oh crap. I've stumbled onto something serious here...
Back away. Back away slowly...
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