I have just read Michael Smyth’s column from this morning’s edition of The Province. And in consideration of the fact that I know that Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus reads this website, I have some questions for her that I hope she will answer either in the comments section or in an email:
- Do you think that the poster for the event, which is being held on the district’s property, is appropriate in consideration of what the girl is wearing and what she is engaged in doing? (the former implied, the latter quite obvious)
- Since the school district employs the members of VESTA, how is VESTA sending out an invite from an organization that states on its website “The Olympics are not about the human spirit and have little to do with athletic excellence. They are a multi-billion dollar industry backed by real estate, construction, hotel, tourism and media corporations, and powerful elites working hand in hand with government officials and the International Olympic Committe” offering “a balanced approach” which you reference as something that is needed?
- I am not a huge fan of the Olympics, but how is boosterism for the event with elemetary students harmful? (assuming that boosterism has to do with the Games, the movement and the values rather than cost overruns and the Premier’s domineering ownership over the event)
Trust me when I say that I understand the dire position that the province has put school boards in with regards to funding cutbacks. However, for the amount of money that the Olympic Resistance Network is likely paying, I cannot understand Bacchus’ position on this event.
I anxiously await a response.
I’m not staunchly opposed to the Olympics, but it’s pretty easy to see that it’s not all fuzzy uniforms and gold-medal smiles. While this isn’t a balanced approach in and of itself, it is if juxtaposed with Olympic boosterism (see comment from Cynico on CityCaucus’ post) already in our schools.
Ack, I said I wouldn’t bother with this issue.
Hi Jonathan – It’s a good thing I’m a Civicscene fan and check it often so I could get you a reasonably timely reply.
Mike Smyth has an interesting way of portraying a conversation – sigh.
In response to your questions:
The event is not school sponsored and while I see from the newspaper story she is wearing a striped dress, and appears to be dropping a toy Olympic mascot into a trash can, I’m not sure what kind of context you’re referring to in terms of whether I believe it is appropriate. It definitely wouldn’t be appropriate for a school-sponsored event and I do have a concern about this version (the one I’d seen previously had the name of a bookstore on it) as viewers may understandably assume it is school sponsored.
I’m also unclear of the significance of the fashion choice. I’m not a copyright lawyer and can’t comment of issues related to that, but I do respect that there are many ways groups and individuals choose to express their opinions on matters of public interest.
As I explained to Mr. Smyth, I was not aware when I spoke with him how the group had gone about booking the space. As you may be know, the VSB makes is facilities available for public rentals (http://www.vsb.bc.ca/districtinfo/organization/fd/rentals/default.htm) outside of school hours, which provides affordable access to community groups and organizations, and brings in much-needed revenue. That is what I told Mr. Smyth, although his retelling gives it a somewhat different flavour, to put it mildly.
I have been checking into this particular booking this morning, as I understand it did not go through the rental process, but I’m still confirming the details.
It is my understanding that VESTA provided a link on their website regarding the event. What occurs between VESTA and its membership is not my business. What happens in schools and classrooms is, however.
The VSB has discussed and developed guidelines regarding the need to uphold the integrity of our public schools by ensuring the school-based student involvement in the Olympics is of an educational nature, vs only “boosterism”, and by that I mean we’re not offering up our students as backdrops for promotional events, but are ensuring that we take full educational advantage of the extensive educational opportunities presented by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A key component of education is engaging in critical thinking, examining events and issues from a range of perspectives, weighing the merits vs the faults, understanding roles, who benefits, who doesn’t, why and how we could improve areas and what we can learn from others.
There will of course be room for the excitement and cheering on our athletes, but we expect that to be balanced by thoughtful consideration and debate of the multitude of issues one can extract from such a a major event. After all Jonathan (and you are someone I would consider to be an educated, thoughtful, critical thinker), if public education is the cornerstone of democracy, and I believe it is, we need to be preparing our students to be engaged citizens, equipped with the knowledge and ability to participate effectively in the democratic process. And that takes critical, balanced thinking and a willingness and ability to consider, contrast and assess a range of perspectives.
Curriculum materials are being developed by provincial and school-board educators who will be doing this work, and this critical approach is consistent with ministry curriculum, starting right from kindergarten. The ORN, which I do not support and with which I have never had any communication, group presents one point of view — quite arguably an extreme one — and I don’t expect any teacher would take that back to the classroom as the only point of view, but it does make for some interesting debate.
I think there will be a place for boosterism, but as said before, there needs to be a balance in how we responsibly handle issues in an age-appropriate learning environment. We want to help students learn to think, analyze and reflect, not simply accept everything they are told without question.
Don’t underestimate the ability of our students, with the guidance of teachers, to come up with some innovative solutions to some of our challenges related to the games!
Thanks for the opportunity to respond and I’d like to hear what your readers have to say about the issue.
And keep blogging!
Patti
A footnote – for some more balanced reporting on Mike Smyth’s tale – please check out Janet Steffenhagen’s Sun story – http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Teachers+urged+critique+Games/2105315/story.html
And let’s all calm down.
Patti,
Apparently, the “context’ of the illustration on the ORN invitation is beyond your comprehension level. The illustration of the girl throwing the Olympic mascot in the waste-basket (now, there’s BALANCE for you) is dressed in prison garb. Perhaps there is even a Nazi ref in that. That ORN removed the barbed-wire from an earlier version of the illo should have been your first clue. Mark: D.
I am quite astonished to read that you find ORN’s point of view an”arguably” extreme one. Sort of like calling the Red Brigade a well-meaning, but misunderstood community group. Mark here for critical thinking: F, for FAIL. Oh, wait—they don’t give out “effs” anymore do they? Wouldn’t want the kiddies to feel bad about themselves.
I am looking at your long-winded, weak arguments and the unfathomable logic (or lack thereof) that you employ to try to save yourselk from a debacle of your own creation. We call that fibbing, where I come from, Missy. I’m afraid you will have to stay after scool for a week and write on the chalkboard, “I will take my head out of my arse” 500 times. Also, since it is apparent you can’t back down and apologize for defending the indefensible, will you at least do us all a favour and just shut up?
Your have also managed to raise the term “political correctness” to dizzying new heights of ridicule. For that, you receive the..uh…gold medal.
Thus endeth today’s lesson.