Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

[QUOTE=Glaswegian]


It isn't just the ESL kids that are taking resources McGrouch. We have friends who are teachers in Victoria. They tell me that they are stretched to the limit and beyond because of the variance of types of kids in the classes today. They have the lower level, average, bright and advanced kids to try and teach. They also have kids who are mentally and/or physically handicapped in the classes. Some of these kids are quite badly off. In the infamous wisdom of our current govt they have laid off over 2500 teachers, closed schools because of low enrollment and then cut some funding for the "aids" that these challenged kids need with them in the classroom. So the teachers are having to cope with every aspect of society. This in itself takes a tremendous amount of time away from other kids needs in the classroom.....it is assumed that the "advanced" kids can just work on their own without a great deal of supervision. Ok, that may be case, but you have to give those kids the challenging work....to keep them motivated and challenged.....otherwise they just get bored....and boredom breeds trouble.... I know from experience. This teacher tells me that she has to make up 5 different course schedule each day.

My kids will be 5 and 3 respectively in February. We really want to give the public school system a good try....but the more we hear about it.....the more we prepare ourselves to have to fund a private education for my son who apparently is gifted....(where this came from......is anyone's guess).....as with you and Mrs. G. we really want to give our son a good start in life.

Before anyone sends me hate mail.....please don't mis-interpret my message in any way..in that I don't feel that mentally/physically handicapped kids shouldn't be in the classroom. That's not the case. I thinkit's important that these kids are able to socialize on whatever level they can with other kids and parents. My little guy has kids like this in his kindergarten class and they are wonderful kids and it's a real learning experience for the other kids to be around them and learn from them. So please no hate mail.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

It's the same in Calgary ... we've had "undersubscribed" schools being closed all over the place ... kids being bussed across town ... new communities being built with no school with available spaces nearby ... one of the big challenges for teachers in my kids school is the number of IPP's they have to maintain.

The school is proud of the fact that it's fully inclusive, but that means every "special needs" kid (including both of mine) needs an individual learning plan to be maintained ... like the teachers don't have enough to do just teaching the kids.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Hi Glas,

Is this the situation right across Calgary, or in certain areas more than others? Whereabouts are you?

Also, if you move outside the city aways, do you think the demographics would reflect more white, english-speaking as opposed to the inner-city areas, where there may be a greater concentration of immigrants whose first language might not be English?

I was wondering, in the high schools rather than the junior schools, if they have streaming of kids into similar abilities, or are they all mixed in together.

I am already slightly uneasy about being within city limits anyway, and I do not like the boxy houses in the new communities, ..too reminiscent of "Sim-city"!!! :D

Morw

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Toronto, Toronto, Toronto!!!!! *wears his brainwashing gear* :D :D

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

No, I don't have kids. Understand that Alberta's students (15-16 year olds) have been performing on par with the very best in the world on standardized international tests, bettter than their counterparts in the UK or in Ontario. They're right up their with Japan and the Scandinavian countries.

I agree that non-English speaking students require extra resources, but Alberta has nowhere near the number of non-English speaking students as many areas of Ontario has. All that I'm saying is you'll have to be very careful not to move into a situation that is even worse than you have now.

As I stated previously, the Niagara Region has been attracting very few immigrants, but it has had a big infusion of investment in its tourist industry over the last 5-6 years - and the growth in investment is continuing. They just opened a $1 billion casino in Niagara Falls last June.

If I ever moved back to Ontario - as a retiree - I would look at Barrie, Guelph, or the Niagara Region, simply because they are great places to be.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

I live in thw SW, but the situation is the same all over Calgary - the city's population is growing too fast for it's infrastructure.

After the 1st generation everyone speaks Canadian anyway, so I wouldn't get hung up on anybody's whiteness of skin - if you check out demographics, only 80% of the Calgary population count themselves as ethnically Canadian.

Many of the small towns around Calgary aren't very white and english - Brooks has a huge Sudanese population for example. Many of the small towns were established by entire villages who moved out here from places like the Ukraine at the turn of the 20th century.

As a white, english speaking immigrant you're in the minority of new Canadians anyway.

I have no experience of high schools, so I can't really comment.

They build the same boxy houses in places like Okotoks ... it's the local building style. Anything else probably isn't well enough insulated for Alberta.

The advantage of being inside the city limits are better schools, better hospitals, access to better shops & supermarkets ... living somewhere out of town means that you'll have to drive down a snowy highway to get to most of those ... depending what small towns you're looking at, your kids may have to be bussed to get to a school.

I live in the deep SW of Calgary - I'm a 15km drive from the centre of downtown - 30 minutes away train (which stops at the edge of the city) - any inner city areas are a long way from where I live.

Based on the house prices around here, I would expect most of those ESL kids' parents to be foreign born professionals working in oil & gas - this isn't an area known for social housing - our school is full and doesn't bus any kids in from other areas.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Having experienced the education system, I don't really understand why. probably says more about how bad the system is in other countries.

Thanks for the concern ... canstats has really good demographics data online, I'm getting good at reading it.

Thanks for the advice - we'll definitely look there.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

mmm I don't really care what colour people are on the outside, but if kids are held back in classes while the teacher tries to explain to ESL kids every other word, that would bother me!

My friend lives near Bowden (South of Red Deer). Immigrants seem comparatively rare there (of any ethnicity), and her kids are doing well at Bowden school, which goes from elementary to senior high all in the one place. They go in by bus as she lives on an acreage a few miles outside town.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Hmmm .... Red Deer ... it does have a certain reputation in Calgary for being more red neck than we are ... I could imagine that immigrants might be a bit rare.

I've been there for a weekend and took the kids to a Rebels hockey game - we had a great time - I could tell people were giving me that "he's from out of town" look, but everyone was very friendly.

Red Deer is a bit different from other small towns, as it's really too far from Edmonton or Calgary for a sensible commute. Although I have heard complaints recently that the locals think its growing too fast and that crime is increasing. But I don't live there, so I don't know.

Places like Okotoks are turning into dormitory towns for Calgary, in the same way as St Albert and Sherwood Park already are for Edmonton.

It's been said a million times already, but a lot depends on what you're going to do for a living ... if you can make a living in a smaller town, good for you ... but if you're going to have to commute to a big city to work?

If you're looking at schools, take a look at the Fraser Institure report card.

Bowden school ranks 161 out of 769:
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/admin/books/chapterfiles/Detailed%20School%20Results%20and%20How%20to%20Rea d%20the%20Tables%20(p.14%20-%20p.84)-ABElem2004Tables.pdf#

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

I don't think you really want to move. You probably need to stop wasting time on the Internet and make some use of your life. Get a new hobby. Start a side business, and save up for your children's education.

It just can't be possible that there are so many wrongs with all the places that you have lived. It is possible that there are many wrongs in your attitude towards the places. Your whining is so annoying!

You just can't expect your outlook on life to change with changing locations. Your problems will keep haunting you wherever you go. You should know that by now.

Considering that you LOVE to talk about your self, mostly whining I am going to throw in a little background info. about myself. I have lived in communist Albania, southern Kentucky US, Brooklyn NY, and I have loved every single place. I have loved the bizarreness, I have loved the differences, and I have loved the struggles that I have had to deal with. They have only made me stronger, and opened minded. As I move from place to place in through the great challenges of life, I don't expect my next place to accommodate my every need. I expect myself to struggle on a daily basis to make the most out of the place. Montreal, I can't wait to freeze my ass in you bitter cold. I can't wait to be paid a third of what I earn now and be happy about it. I can't wait to be the proud citizen of the maple leaf country.


Choose life, buddy!

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Hey Prodigyking,

Having trouble finding some Empire period trash in an attempt to incite a debate today?

To quote an earlier poster ... welcome to my ignore list.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

That's cool. You can welcome me to your ignore list. However, my true words will echo into your brain for a long time, no matte how many times you move.

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

You got off the list just so I could read that ... like I said in another thread I actually enjoyed my time in Alberta ... it's a great province and we had a good time living here.

I'm sure it pleases your ego to think your great insight shook me to the centre of my being ... guess what? ... what makes you think I haven't wondered that already all by myself?

Some of us search for perfection in life and are never happy ... some are happy where they are ... everyone's journey through life is different and you can never step into someone else's shoes.

One thing you were right about - I should waste less time on this forum whining ... it's out of character ... but then again, it's been a cathartic exercise for me ... like a really good fart, I feel better now that it's all out of my system.

What the forum lacks is a big red self destruct button on your personal profile for when you've had enough and want to get rid of the addiction.

Good luck in Montreal ... I'm sure they'll love you there ... somebody has to :D

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

Speaking with colleagues at work the health care system in Ontario (in their opinion) is pretty cr@p from a funding/resources point of view compared to Alberta. From experience the cr@pness of the health-care system in an area usually has some sort of correlation with the education system.

Just my $2. (inflation).

Re: Moving a Glaswegian ...
 

It's okay for him to move from New York to Montreal (different countries and very different cultures), but it's a bad idea for you to make a much smaller move within the same country (same country, same culture). :confused:

On top of that, maybe he'll hate Montreal after a few months of living there. It's like he's bragging about the mark he got on the test he hasn't written yet.

By the way, we all take our problems with us wherever we go.