Too good to languish in the comments

Eric just posted the following comment in response to the previous post on humour:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Kelly Lamrock: Because the chickens on this side of the road were causing streaming which hurt our test scores! For this reason, we are eliminating chickens and will provide each child with an egg in grade 6 from which some might produce their own chickens. Children who do not opt for the egg will receive chicken manure.

Donald Arseneault: The chicken had to cross the road so we could establish a Uranium mine on the chicken’s property.

Kelly Lamrock: People who oppose the chicken crossing the road are missing the hidden X factor! You often have to cross roads in fantasy football.

Victor Boudreau: Because the other side is not paying its fair share of taxes! The Liberals will increase the taxes on both sides as well as introducing a road crossing fee.

Kelly Lamrock: Following a court ordered consultation, I have decided to compromise and just make the chicken cross halfway. We’ll just hope that no cars come by.

Mike Murphy: Because it is more efficient to have separate systems! We’ll have chickens on that side and ducks on this side.

Shawn Graham: What did Kelly say?

Mark your calendars

From the government web site:

Open Houses

A series of open houses, hosted by the nine anglophone school districts, will take place on Wednesday, June 25 from 12 noon – 8 p.m., and on Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. District representatives will be on hand to provide information and answer questions, and people can also submit written comments at the events. The locations are as follows:

District 2
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Lewisville Middle School, 45 McAuley Dr., Moncton
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: West Riverview School, 684 Coverdale Rd., Riverview

District 6
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Rothesay High School, 61 Hampton Rd., Rothesay
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: Sussex Middle School, 49 Bryant Dr., Sussex

District 8
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: School District 8 Office, 490 Woodward Ave., Saint John (located in Millidgeville North School)
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: Gymnasium, Havelock School, 500 Young St., Saint John

District 10
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: St. George Elementary School, 118 Brunswick St., St. George
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: District 10 Office, 11 School St., St. Stephen

District 14
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Florenceville Elementary School, 805 Main St, Florenceville
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: District 14 Office, 138 Chapel St., Woodstock

District 15
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: School District 15 Office, 464 Montgomery St., Dalhousie
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: Parkwood Heights Elementary School, 1125 Highland Ave., Bathurst

District 16
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Croft Elementary, 31 Elizabeth Street, Miramichi
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: District 16 Office, 78 Henderson St., Miramichi

District 17
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Minto Elementary Middle School, 42 Cedar St., Minto
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: District 17 Office, 17 Miramichi Rd., Oromocto

District 18
Wednesday, June 25 – Noon – 8 p.m.: Nashwaaksis Middle School, 324 Fulton Ave., Fredericton
Saturday, June 28 – 9 a.m – 5 p.m.: Fredericton High School, 300 Priestman St., Fredericton

You will likely think

that I have a nasty, suspicious mind, but I have to say it:

I am growing uneasy about the online “consultation” site. Don’t misunderstand: the whole process is shockingly inappropriate, a deeply cynical move on the part of the Minister.

What I mean is, the comments themselves indicate a whiff of being … how shall I put this delicately? “Supplemented”? “Augmented”? Or perhaps “edited.” Not that one could prove it, of course. But the ratio of pros to cons has shifted precipitately over the past twenty-four hours, though no-one has been quite so foolish as to sign their comment since the earlier instance.

And why, I wonder, has my contribution of two days ago not yet shown up?

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It’s a three-parter.

Update: Others report the same problem (scroll down to comments).

Another comment worth quoting,

because it raises some issues new to me, at least:

From the department enrolment data, over 70% of NB students have access to Early French Immersion. In fact there are 8 of our smaller cites that have over 50% of the student in EFI Only in New Brunswick is there not early French Immersion Kindergarten and no assistance for any child who experiences a learning challenge. Only in New Brunswick is there no teacher training institute for FSL education for Anglophones It is as if New Brunswick has worked hard to make sure the program was weaker here and students had to leave or were forced to leave the program to receive any help which created the streaming This streaming does not exist in Alberta, Manitoba or BC. This appears to have been a deliberate move on the part of ministerial officials over many years, It may indeed be a defensive reaction on the part of the Anglophone sector. I can’t help but wonder what will happen to the Canadian Heritage dollars poured into this province (almost 24,000,000 a year) for minority language education- most of which the New Brunswick government has directed to the francophone sector for the past 20 years which starved the EFI program. If the amounts remain stable with fewer students in FSL education (none form Grade 1-4) the francophone population who now receives over 80% of that funding will get even more of that 24,000,000.

With the current FSL plan, in 11 years no Anglophone graduate could meet the requirements of the largest majority of civil service jobs as the late immersion only delivers an intermediate level of linguistic competency. If parents are able to afford sending their children on a Quebec or France exchange there might be some advanced level students from that group. A very few strong academic and motivated students from late immersion may also achieve the level required. But 90 + percent will be unable to meet any acceptable standard, The current 42 % of early immersion students meeting that standard will look good.
In today’s world and to have the best opportunities for global participation, more than one language needs to be the standard, Kelly has misguidedly chosen an option that will not deliver what he espouses. There are many positive initiatives that are occurring in elementary education that will assist NB to achieve the improved international scores. I commend those. The decision to implement an intensive French component in the Core French program which will occur over the next three years will improve the Core French program and allow rural children access to a better program than they have had. This has been proven in Newfoundland where the program was developed and has been in place for over 5 years.

All the positive initiatives will not overcome the ultimate outcome of this single decision which is fewer bilingual Anglophones and disadvantaged graduates in the global and national community. The cognitive benefits of early bilingualism will be lost to New Brunswick children while a province like Alberta expands their number of early immersion programs to French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese in their attempts to become a participant on the international scene. BC’s immersion numbers increase by over 6% a year, many of the children from immigrant families whose children are learning a third or fourth language.

This decision will likely be overturned by another government as the data comes in over the next 5-12 years that shows fewer children in immersion in Grades 7-12, an even more streamed middle years and high school groupings than existed in early immersion. (p.6)

LOL

This takes the proverbial cake. I am reading the comments on the govt. “consultation” site — which by my count are running 27/62/21 (for Lamrock/against/unclear or mixed) — and came across the following on p.5 which I reproduce in its entirety:

Dear Mr. Lamrock,
Your course of action is absolutely, 100% correct, here is why: We placed our son in FI grade 5 in BC. When we returned home he continued in FI, if I had not been teaching Math and Science at home he would have become a great student in speaking French and understanding the culture and that’s all. When he entered High School we placed back into the English system to learn Math and Science. FI is elitist, do they not profess that Francophone children learn in their own language first? All studies I have read implore parents to educate their children in their Mother tongue to gain the very basics. The first four years of a child’s life may be the most important.
Keep up the fight, stand up for the children,do not falter.
Your employee

You can’t make this stuff up, people.

Update (June 28/08): This comment is no longer there. The comments appear to be being edited.