'Taco Bell High' or 'Wal-mart Public School' Coming To Canada?

[DeSwiss]

'Taco Bell High' or 'Wal-mart Public School' coming to Canada?

AFP
Sat Jun 23, 3:39 PM ET

OTTAWA (AFP) - Canadian students could soon be graduating from "Taco Bell High" or "Wal-Mart Public School" if trustees here go ahead with a scheme to sell school naming rights to corporations to raise extra funds.

The proposal has pitted members of the cash-strapped Ottawa-Carleton District School Board with public education advocacy groups who fear it would jeopardize universal education. "No one wants to go to Taco Bell High," Ellen Dickson, chair of the Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils, told the daily Ottawa Citizen. But proponents say it would help eliminate growing budget deficits at many of Canada's school boards, hit by rising enrollment and cuts in provincial funding.

The Ottawa school board, for example, passed a 634.8-million dollar (595-million US) budget last week, but even after deep cuts, was left with a deficit of 6.2 million dollars (5.8 million US). Ottawa trustee Riley Brockington told the Citizen in support of the plan: "I have no problem with the Loeb Library or the Cognos Centre of Performing Arts," invoking the names of a grocery chain and a software firm, respectively.

But Annie Kidder of the parents group People for Education countered: "The minute you end up with a Wal-Mart Public School... you are taking away the notion of the importance of public education, which is to provide every child, no matter where they live or the income of their parents, with an equal chance at success."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070623/od_afp/canadaeducationoffbeat_070623193824

*** - How bout Joe's Septic Tank Cleaning Middle School, or Penthouse Jr. High? No? Well then, we'll try to stay up-market then.... How bout, Halliburton Day Care Center and Kindergarten? Or, Blackwater High School (where we teach your kids things you don't want to know about). And the piece de Resistance - McDonald's "You Want Fries With That?" Montessori School.



on edit: new & improved thread title

[The Straight Story]

1. Or a 'bush sucks' school :) (nt)

[DeSwiss]

3. Yeah, its called Baylor now.... n/t

[Selatius]

2. Why not get the Canadian government to help out the provincial governments?

Am I to understand that school funding is strictly the realm of provincial governments and not the central government?

[DeSwiss]

4. Well, in the case of my own city....

...for schools we pay 37.6% in local property tax, 29.9% comes from local sales tax, 29.5% from the state, and only 0.50% from the feds. I suppose that's the "not leaving any kids behind" money.

Which might explain why so many are...