Listen to the young people, F-this, F-that, and nary anyone will step up and correct them, even with wife and kids in tow! FINALLY - - Someone in the teaching profession had the courage to set the standards so badly needed NOW.
We watched high school principal Dennis Prager, along with the Governor General and Peter Mansbridge on TV a couple of weeks ago.... What a dynamic, down to earth speaker. Even though the Governor General and Mansbridge were also guest speakers they did little but nod and agree with him. This is the guy that should be running for our next Prime Minister.
A Speech Every Canadian High School Principal Should Give. By Dennis Prager .
To the students and faculty of our high school: I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people. I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in Canada have worked against you, against your teachers and against our country. First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin American, Asian or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on slave ships. The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity -- your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is Canadian. This is a Canadian public school, and Canadian public schools were created to make better Canadians. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and non-Canadian nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of Canada, one of its three central values -- E pluribus unum, "from many, one." And this school will be guided by Canadian values. This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness. Your clubs will be based on interests and passions, not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism -- an unhealthy preoccupation with the self -- while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, carpentry and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those based on ethnic, racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you. Second , I am uninterested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united Canadian citizens for over 150 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English language skills, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully compete in the Canadian job market. We will learn other languages here — it is deplorable that most Canadians only speak English/French — but if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English/French, this is not your school. Third , because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor , everything in this school will reflect learning's elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for red-carpet events than for church or school. These people have their priorities backward. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school. Fourth , no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school's property -- whether in class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can't speak without using the f -word, you can't speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the Federal Government, plus epithets such as "******," even when used by one black student to address another black, or "bitch," even when addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few your age to instinctively distinguish between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene. Fifth , we will end all self-esteem programs. In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only one way -- the way people attained it until decided otherwise a generation ago -- by earning it. One immediate consequence is that there will be one valedictorian, not eight. Sixth , and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more semesters will be devoted to condom wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue... There will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual or not Christian. We will have failed if any one of you graduates this school and does not consider him or herself inordinately fortunate — to be alive and to be a Canadian. Now, please stand and join me in singing “O Canada" & to the flag of our country. As many of you may not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you..
I think it should be posted in every classroom.. Trouble is our community teachers and provincial leaders are all about Political correctness and everything this principal is not.. I could not agree more..But he has an unsurmountable challenge to implement his plan as he would garner no support based on the direction both the federal and provincial government are taking us..I think most of us would agree with his view.. But most Canadians do not have the courage to to stand up for the future of our children ..We have become apathetic sheep.. The fact the Liberals have a majority is proof of our lack of interest in our or our children's future..Canadians have no courage when it comes to doing the right thing.. Look where we are, and look at the government we accept.. I have great respect for the courage of Donald Trump to take them all on ..He fears non of them He has woken many of those who have given up on their vote .. And we have Justin Trudeau .. how did we ever get here and the education system in this country is a joke no wonder so many are home schooling, We have incompetent teachers whom we can't even terminate because of unions and a liberal government .. Just my opinion..Thanks for posting that I think it's a great read but I expect he will run into much trouble trying to put that into practice.. I would be interested in his take about a year from now..
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There is no elevator to success — you have to take the stairs.
Years ago , for Christmas , I bought my late stepfather an album of Ukrainian Christmas carols . He was a wonderful human being as was his extended family . I always looked forward to get togethers because his people were so positive and enjoyable to be around . He took the album , rather sheepishly , and did play it . Me being a 12 year old at the time ,I was sure he would get enjoyment from the music for years to come . Not long after , he said " Our family speaks Ukrainian to each other when we are alone , but I was born in Canada , learned English , and only use Ukrainian in special circumstances . I've forgotten so much Ukrainian , I don't know a lot of the words on the album " I was floored . But over the years both he and his various family members became very successful in this country in their own ways . My Uncle Gordon Nikiforuk even got the Order of Canada for his work and contributions regarding fluoride when he was Dean of Dentistry at U of T . Oh , and you NEVER heard an F-bomb out of my step dad ....wish I could say the same !
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To Err is human ....to blame someone else is Management Material !
