"EDUCATION" PREMIER HAS SCREWED UP

Today's Waterloo Region Record is no treat for Premier McGuinty. Peter Shawn Taylor has an Opinion piece titled "McGuinty's folly rides our school buses" and Luisa D'Amato has her Opinion piece titled "Liberal law is eroding trustees' influence".

Mr Taylor strongly makes the case that science and honest research do not and never have supported extending kindergarten and junior kindergarten to full days. It is in his opinion "...misguided, unproductive and entirely unaffordable.". The Drummond Report had strongly suggested ending the full day experiment. That recommendation was ignored as were the behavioral experts thoughts about young children further developing attachment bonds at home or in a family setting.

Luisa D'Amato comes at her criticism of the Liberals somewhat differently. She is suggesting that our provincial government are slowly emasculating our Trustees. She is correct of course but oddly seems to feel that that is in error. My personal experience with Trustees is that the good ones without a preset bias are in a tiny minority and are constantly being overuled by those with political agendas or worse yet political aspirations. Think of Liz Witmer and Catherine Fife for starters locally.

In the final analysis Luisa asks why we just don't get rid of Trustees altogether as they are a sham and only a shadow government. Peter Taylor wants to get rid of all day school for our youngest students and feels that this would also cut down on the number of students being dropped off in the wrong locations by bus drivers, early in the school year. My opinion is that they are both right.