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Points
The
Lessons of same-sex schools
Despite plenty of effort and attention,
the gender gap in how our children perform in school hasn’t
gone away. A recently released Program for International Student
Assessment (PISA) study shows that girls still outstrip boys
in reading, and boys continue to score higher than girls in
math. On average, Canadian 15-year-old males score 11 points
higher than 15-year-old females. Some school boards, parents
and educators say the answer lies in introducing single-sex
classes. But we believe that while concern about such differences
is certainly warranted, policy-makers should be careful about
pinning their hopes on such initiatives.
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Homework no panacea for
the struggling student
Report cards chart a student’s
progress, and mediocre reports can prompt a spike in parental
demands for homework. Yet homework is rarely the cure for
a student challenged by the demands of schooling. Indeed,
it can actually compound the student’s difficulties.
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more]
Let's not Christmas-wrap
violence and bloodshed
I'm
certain it was just an ironic coincidence that the marketing
mavens for the manufacturers of the newest violent video game
launched their assault on consumers at the same time that
the United States launched its attack on Fallujah. But with
Christmas consumers in the crosshairs of manufacturers and
merchants, it was inevitable that we'd be targeted by advertisements
for the next generation of violent video games.
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more]
Memo to Ken Dryden: What’s
your game plan
Dear Ken:
As
daunting as they must have been, the 1970-71 Stanley Cup Playoffs
will pale by comparison to the challenge facing you in fulfilling
Government’s promise for affordable day care. Canaidans
expect their government to convert on this promise. And you
must decide what to do before health care and helicopters
absorb all of the available resources. Providing affordable
day care will require setting priorities. Fortunately, there
is a growing body of evidence to provide direction for Government’s
policy – some of it Canadian.
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more]
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