Talk about downplaying and criticizing the parents. Accusing them of elitism and teaching children to cheat. Its been going on for years, and the people who are doing the criticizing are the usual suspects that are connected to the education system in one way or another.

The first comment caught my eye - ” I agree that there is a component of upbringing and genetics in students’ performance. However when I attempted to enter the workforce out of university I don’t know how many times I was asked about what neighbourhood I was from, what my father did for a living, what high school I attended. None of these things had anything to do with the qualifications I earned in university or my summer jobs. It’s obvious that wealth and connections begets more opportunities for those whose abilities lie in the average part of the abilities’ spectrum. These parents understand that harsh fact.”

You bet it matters in places like Ontario, that really has a provincialism in its character. It matters what elementary school one goes to, and the high school. Years later, it matters to the educrats found in teachers’ faculties and universities. To my surprise, when I went to the trouble of tracking down the phone numbers to speak to them directly on statements on education,  that ticked me off - one of the questions that I was asked - what schools did I attend as a child.

The educrats become curious, this is no ordinary phone call from a parent, when they realized they have been on the phone for 30 minutes, with a parent who obviously could carry a conversation at the same intellect level as themselves, without using all the edubabble and big words.

Parents want the best for their children, as my parents did. Both schools I attended in rural Ontario were top notch when it came to the education quality and extracurricular activities. Hell they even have delayed busing schedule, for the kids who stayed after school.

Since the standardization of schools, my elementary school has closed, and the new smaller version is moving to new location in the cow pastures outside of the community, where everybody has to be bused. As for the high school, that had everything, its on its last legs having a student enrollment of 350 from the old time high of 1800 students in my day. Most parents have opted for any other school, private - public - Catholic then send their kids to the two public schools I attended. Once upon a time, both schools were considered of the top schools in all of Ontario, for academics, but not anymore.

I can well imagine if I was living in the Ontario place that I grew up in, I too be driving my children to other schools, considering what I have heard from parents. Its no longer a good place to raise children and the schools are terrible. Yes, I forgot - homeschooling has really increased in numbers which is another factor driving down student enrollment in the public schools.

The last comment in the Star article - “.Not surprised, I would do the same if I had a child. You want them in an academic program/school/situation where they can succeed as much as possible. I wouldn’t want to send them to a school which has high incidences of troubles or lower test marks/scores. You don’t want them in a neighborhood that has higher chances of putting them in danger, muggings, stabbings, etc.”