Have your say

Re: Manitoba gets an F for educational accountability (Feb. 2). How disgusting -- as if there is nothing better to report, must the Free Press bash our school system? Not only is posting assessments for all to see demoralizing for all hard-working Manitoba teachers, it is demoralizing to the students within the so-called low-scoring schools. It also encourages teachers to "teach to the test." This meaning: practice testing all year-round instead of providing a multi-faceted curriculum that may involve real life skills and values.

It also encourages competition between schools, pitting the richy-rich who have been given every God-given opportunity in life against the inner city where many of these students come from broken homes with problems such as alcoholism and abuse; or maybe an immigrant family who can't yet speak English.

It's simply not fair. For all of you who feel they need "accountability" from your children's schools, why not demand it by getting in touch with the principal or the teacher? It's called forming a relationship. Get involved with your children's education and take an active and accountable role for yourself instead of relying on statistics, which can often be biased, subjective, unfair and most of all, extremely judgmental. Shame on you, Winnipeg Free Press.

Andriana Tarasiuk

North Kildonan

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If the union representing teachers employed by the Winnipeg School Division decides to negotiate an "inclement weather day" in their next round of negotiations, then that's their choice. However, for them to get bent out of shape when some of the teachers phoned in "sick" Jan. 25 knowing they were not is to support a lie and, like the teachers who phoned in, lacks integrity. This action comes from the people on the front line of education and is a poor example to our youth. It is no wonder truth becomes more and more elusive.

CHRIS GARNER

Winnipeg

Police accountability

Although Robert Marshall is correct in his implication that having one law for all citizens would be far preferable to the system we now have (Why haven't incarceration rates dropped for aboriginals? Jan. 30), it is extremely hypocritical. There is no group more firmly opposed to the concept of equal treatment under the law than police officers. Please see the Driskell inquiry, the Taman inquiry or the Braidwood inquiry. Both the police service and the police union consistently oppose any form of personal responsibility, accountability or consequences for their members.

Public, much less aboriginal, confidence in the police will never return until police admit to their failings and are willing to be accountable.

Bob Hatch

Winnipeg

Serious matter

Re: Harper really is dangerous (Jan. 29). Regarding the sudden prorogation of Parliament, William Neville writes of a new justification for prorogation offered by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney; that he gets more work done when Parliament is not in session -- exactly what that work is he does not say. From recent personal experience, I offer a rebuttal to Kenney's statement.

When Parliament was still in session, I accompanied a friend to MP Pat Martin's office for assistance on an immigration matter. Martin was not there, being in the House of Commons where we elected him to be, but his very competent and experienced staff person attended to my friend's issue.

She took down the relevant information and faxed it to the minister's office for action, to Kenney's office as it happens, where no doubt, he also has competent staff to handle these affairs while he is in the House of Commons. I recently learned the matter was satisfactorily concluded.

The point is the majority of Canadians know the House was shut down and committees dismissed to avoid scrutiny and accountability and not so that the ministers "can get more done." This is ironic considering that the Conservatives were elected on a promise to be more transparent and accountable than the previous government. It is a very serious matter when a government minister dismisses Parliament as unnecessary.

Eleanor Ulasy

Winnipeg

Buy a bus pass

Greg Keller's comments are reflective of the attitude of a growing number of Winnipeg automobile drivers who view cyclists as a mild irritant at best, or at worst something akin to an al-Qaida militant who needs to be eradicated from the face of the earth.

Let me offer Keller a couple of reasons why we might drive our bicycles in January: We are fit and healthy so we can; we care about the future of the world so are making an unselfish decision to not drive a car; we have made an intentional decision to live close enough to our place of work or study so we don't need to drive a car.

Keller's attitude clearly indicates he feels he has a right to own and operate his vehicle whenever and wherever he likes, even in "snowing, blowing, icy and -20 temperatures." By taking the completely inconsiderate decision to drive during poor winter driving conditions, Keller not only puts his life in his own hands but those of other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Drivers like Keller had better quickly realize cyclists have as much right to be on our streets as anybody else. We have to deal with a growing number of irresponsible drivers who don't know a green light from a red light, who can't find the turn indicator on their steering column and turn into NASCAR drivers every time they get behind the wheel (if you take issue with this, cycle along with me to work every day and watch for yourself).

Keller, and the drivers like him, need to understand that we will all be better off once we have more of us on the road and fewer of them. Do everyone a favour, Keller, get out of your car and buy a bus pass.

Harold Shuster

Winnipeg

Poetry in motion

A big beautiful bouquet to the operators of the snowplows that cleared my street -- poetry in motion as they danced their equipment around obstacles remaining from the last recycling pickup day and placed the mountains of snow carefully out of the way of drives and intersections!

MARIANNE LONG

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 6, 2010 A19