FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

May 12

Would Canadian Universities Be Susceptible To Trump-Like Attacks?

by bcurry

Back in April, the New York Times reported that two groups representing Harvard professors sued the Trump administration claiming that its threat to cut billions in federal funding for the university violates free speech and other First Amendment rights.  The group’s lawsuit by the American Association of University Professors and the Harvard faculty chapter follows the Trump administration’s announcement that it was reviewing about $9 billion in federal funding that Harvard receives.  Earlier in March, the administration admitted that investigators from a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), typically focusing on human traffickers and drug smugglers, had begun scouring the internet for social media posts and videos that the administration could argue showed sympathy toward Hamas.  Subsequently, several students were illegally arrested and detained by ICE.  Numerous American universities are now under the gun.  The result has also been hundreds of protests, including those by students, professors and members of the community at large, against the Trump administration’s threat to further cut funding for universities.

In Canada, the situation is very different.  There have also been protests over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including temporary encampments on campuses.  However, the majority were settled peacefully and without most students being expelled or detained.  Yes, there is no doubt that some anti-semitism and anti-Islamic activities have occurred on campuses.  Moreover, such activities are normally dealt with by the university administrations without needless inference by the authorities.  Canadian universities have long professed the need for academic freedom and freedom of speech as fundamental principles for places of higher learning.  Most have clear guidelines dealing with on-campus hate messaging, harassment or any form of violence.  Should such outcomes occur, it is only then that the authorities would be brought in to determine if any crimes had been committed.  So far, this approach appears to have worked well.

Imagine a government sending a school a list of demands that it must meet if it wants to keep receiving funding support!  As in the case of the Trump administration, such a list would require the university to examine how teaching staff are hired, the background of potential recruits related particularly to certain types of political activity or views, any suspected possible plagiarism regarding previous papers or dissertations, etc., etc.  This would also include current academic staff and administrators.  Such interference by governments in Canada would never be tolerated.  One would certainly have to deal with many cases of unjust dismissals and discriminatory practices.  I very much doubt that any Canadian university would bend to such government pressures, declaring such interference as an attack on academic freedom and their very independence. 

The attacks on American universities and blockage of government funding support for scientific and medical research may actually benefit Canadian universities in the long run.  This has already happened in a reported case whereby three Yale professors have decided to accept positions at the University of Toronto.  One can only speculate that as more R&D projects are halted due to the loss of funding, researchers, including Masters and PHD students, may seek to potentially check out opportunities in Canada and elsewhere.  The current leadership of the U.S. in scientific research is now being greatly threatened by such policies. 

All in all, no matter the results of the above noted litigation, extensive damage has already been done.  The reputations of numerous American universities and their academic freedom have suffered.  Fortunately, to date there is no evidence that Canadian governments would want to go down the same road.  Canada is very fortunate to have a strong and vital education system, most of which is largely publicly funded and readily accessible to both domestic and international students.  Would Canadian universities be susceptible to Trump-like attacks?  I believe that the answer is a clear and emphatic “No”.  

Canada Civil Liberties Donald Trump Education Education in U.S. Extremism Free Speech Scientific Research US US Politics

Leave a comment »
May 2

Student Protests in U.S. and Canada More Than Just About Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

by bcurry

As most people know who follow current news and social media, college student protests in both countries have escalated in recent weeks.  Students have now set up encampments on campus grounds and have even occupied university buildings.  In numerous cases, especially in the U.S. to date, the university administrations have called in the police to physically force the protesting students from their encampments on campuses.  Universities are doing so under the guise of protecting the safety of their student population, especially in the case of Jewish students who appear concerned for their safety on campus.  In some cases, faculty members have joined the protesters in objecting to the use of physical force, especially where the protests have been peaceful.

However, the fact of the matter is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has also galvanized the unrest witnessed among student bodies over the last two to three decades.  As one observer notes, in many students’ eyes, the war in Gaza is linked to other issues, such as policing, mistreatment of Indigenous people, racism and the impact of climate change.  More than likely, protesters have been joined by others who oppose the role of their governments in terms of their global policies and lack of action on tackling climate change viewed by many as the first priority in terms of today’s issues.  There is a lot of pent-up anger among young people over a number of social issues that they are facing on a daily basis.  In addition, many college programs and policies supporting diversity, equality and inclusion have been watered down, particularly in the U.S. as a result of recent Supreme Court decisions.

In addition, there is the apparent lack of transparency among university administrations concerning the allocation of resources and investments in various domestic and foreign industries and businesses.  Students pay a lot of money to attend these universities and are asking for greater transparency and accountability in such transactions at home and abroad, not only with respect to Israel but also other global matters.  One has to ask whether such student demands are indeed reasonable under the circumstances?

Most would agree that violence on campus, including hate mongering, is not the answer.  Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail over the course of the coming weeks.  However, with pro-Israel students ratcheting up their counter protests on a number of campuses, the climate could grow even more strained in the coming days.  The current disproportionate involvement of an increasingly militarized police force is a major concern, and can only exacerbate the situation on many campuses.

Young people have a right to peacefully protest, which is part of the freedom of expression normally supported in universities and colleges across Canada and the U.S.  Unfortunately, college faculties in many states have come under attack by governments over what is being referred to inappropriately as the “woke” effect.  Critical thinking has come under attack by conservative elements in both countries.  Some faculties are being told not only what they can teach but also how they go about teaching certain subjects.  We must all agree that this is a major affront on the fundamental rights and obligations of universities to offer open and considered dialogue on today’s important issues.  These attacks have once again frustrated many students in light of the increasingly apparent lack of respect for these institutions of “higher learning”.

Universities have often served as one of society’s important settings for activism, given the very nature of examining and questioning many of our daily issues; whether political, economic, environmental or technological.  Activism can often lead to open peaceful protests in a democratic society and must be supported, especially on our campuses.

Canada Climate Change Education Education Foreign Policy Israel US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Nov 5

What Is The Value Of Teaching “Humanities” In Our Universities?

by bcurry

For the last two decades there has been a lot written about the value of a post-secondary degree in the “humanities”.  Now, the debate has once again risen in the U.S. and Canada as a number of universities, facing budgetary declines, appear to have taken steps of cutting back or even eliminating certain humanities programs.  Part of the reason is that students increasingly are fleeing to majors more closely aligned to employment, with degrees in business and commerce being the most popular.  Let’s face it, most universities love to market career oriented disciplines.  The humanities on the other hand normally covers such programs as French, Spanish and German, American or Canadian studies, art history, classical studies, philosophy and religious studies.  In the past, such disciplines had been the bread and butter for so-called “liberal arts” colleges.

There have been plenty of arguments given for maintaining humanities programs, particularly when it comes to their ability to evoke critical thinking.  Some would argue that if you want simply to work towards a career, go to MIT or a community college specializing in employment-oriented foundations.  Camille Paglia, a social critic and professor of Humanities and Media Studies at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, was quoted in 2010 as to the value of the contemporary social science course.  Paglia argued at the time that the current trend toward hyper-focused humanities courses (Women’s Studies, African-American Studies, etc.) has eroded the overall purpose of higher education, which she noted is to provide a “broad overview and foundation for overall learning.”

In addition, it’s no secret that most universities tend to lean left, especially when it comes to teaching the humanities and social sciences.  For this reason, there has been a backlash against any form of suspected “ideology” driven teaching.  Such concerns of course don’t normally exist among business and law faculties, considered as safe havens from “leftist” ideologies as they tend to stress support for the “status quo”. 

There is little doubt that in today’s economy and labour market, students are increasingly considering more career-oriented programs in both Canada and the U.S.  After all, the high cost incurred toward certain degrees is perceived as eventually leading to good-paying jobs. Two decades ago, scholars were still confident that the availability of liberal arts would still be there in the future.  Now there are those who believe that the liberal arts, once fairly robust, are seeing a more imminent decline.  The situation certainly leads one to question the role of universities as institutions of higher learning and preserving our society’s historical, cultural and linguistic attributes.

In studying the humanities, one is given an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of a society and where it may or may not be going.  There is a real need to question so many aspects of modern society as it has evolved.  For this reason, the sheer joy of learning has to be instilled in tomorrow’s leaders, keeping an open mind to all the possibilities.  One key is the ability to quickly react to changing times and to be flexible in accepting the possibility of multiple answers and thinking outside the box.  Governments and corporations need to have people equipped in critical thinking so as to provide different ways of thinking about the issues of the day, be they related to climate change or social-economic policies.  It also helps to know how we got here!

Where are the writers and thinkers of the future coming from, if not from universities and the humanities?  Can we really simply leave our future to the engineers, programmers, lawyers and business leaders?  Back in 2010, University of Chicago philosopher Martha Nussbaum released her book Not for profit: Why Democracy needs the Humanities.  I would suggest that anyone interested in this issue take the time to read her book, especially since our democracies appear to be constantly under attack by oligarchs and promoters of authoritarian rule. 

Canada Education Education in U.S. US

Leave a comment »
Jun 24

How We Are Taught Is What We Become

by bcurry

Recently, a friend of mine, who is a retired teacher in Canada, made a very interesting point about the influences of teacher hiring on students at all levels of our schools.  The just of the position is that teachers are not always hired for their qualifications and teaching abilities, but are instead hired primarily on the basis of their core beliefs.  This is particularly true where religious beliefs are considered a primary criteria for hiring.  Now, such criteria do play an important role in religious-based schools where religion plays an central part in the curriculum and extracurricular activities.

In some states and provinces, teachers with certain values and beliefs are expected to promote those same values to their students.  As a result, students can often be indoctrinated into certain belief systems which will form the basis for their future abilities to critically think.  Even at the university level, there may be a tendency on the part of administrators to seek out professors with similar beliefs to those promulgated by the faculty at large.  Unfortunately, such beliefs can most often reflect antiquated value systems which are regressive and unresponsive to the changing value systems reflected in a twenty-first century society.  For this reason, young people leave these institutions with preordained and out-of-date biases and a fundamental lack of critical thinking capabilities needed in modern society.

Under these circumstances, the danger is that the affected young people will not be able to easily adjust to the ever changing value systems associated with the majority of people in North American society.  They will continue to have difficulties in dealing with such issues as inequalities, racism, sexual orientation, discriminatory practices, diversity, etc., etc.  While everyone has a right to commit to certain beliefs and opinions, they cannot extend that right to promoting intolerance and extremism.  After all, values affect opinions and attitudes which then subsequently lead to actions.  Such actions can often have negative consequences and contribute to greater divisions within societies.  Sometimes, they can even lead to violent actions.  The result is a more closed society or certainly a less open one.

Many challenges face today’s youth, and they cannot afford to be hard-wired.  They will need open minds to deal with tomorrow’s issues and to be able to quickly adjust in light of those very same issues.  Parents along with teachers and elders can play an important role in inspiring our young people without handicapping them with antiquated extreme beliefs, religious or otherwise.  We inherit our value systems from our parents, and develop our capacity for critical thinking through thought-provoking education institutions.  Hiring the right teachers to help provide them with the tools needed to function within a modern society is of utmost of importance.  Allowing young people to explore, without rigid restrictions, all facets of our histories, culture and governance is a must.  Maybe by doing so, we will then be able to narrow the evident divisions and intolerance existing today within North American society.

Canada Education Education US

Leave a comment »
Feb 25

Is Changing Text in Classic Novels a New Form of Censorship?

by bcurry

This week is Freedom to Read Week (February 19 to 25).  In Canada, we have the Freedom to Read Foundation which organizes this week and is sponsored by the Book and Periodical Council (BPC), the umbrella organization for Canadian associations whose members are primarily involved with the writing, editing, translating, publishing, producing, distributing, lending, marketing, reading and selling of written words.  Through earlier blogs, I have been an advicate for any persons or organizations that oppose the banning of books or overt censorship in reading materials, whether in our schools, libraries or publishing firms.  Imagine that books such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer are among those books that have been challenged in North America.  The list is much more extensive in states such as Florida and Texas, where there have been right-wing efforts to ban swaths of stories about Black Americans and LGBTQ people.

The latest example of overreach concern classic books by Roald Dahl, wherein the U.K. publisher, Puffin U.K., decided that there was a need to censor several of the author’s cherished children’s stories.  News broke last week that hundreds of changes were made in the latest editions of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Matilda” and other Dahl classics.  The changes reportedly have been made to align his language with modern standards of inclusion, diversity and accessibility.  In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” for instance, Augustus Gloop is no longer “fat”; he’s “enormous.”  And the Oompa Loompas aren’t “small men”; they’re “small people.” While Matilda once went to India with Rudyard Kipling, now she travels to California with John Steinbeck.  In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” even the chickens’ feelings have been spared; they’re no longer called “stupid.”  These changes remind me of the removal of the n-word in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn.  However, these more recent publishers’ changes are even more ridiculous!

This movement is once again a result of attempts by certain factions of today’s society and parents to protect their children from exposure to so-called sensitive materials, as well as the rise of so-called “safetyism.”  For some reason, there are those that believe children and adolescents are so fragile that they need to be protected from stressors.  What I don’t understand is that almost all books are reviewed by schools and libraries before they are made available to children and adults alike.  According to well defined criteria, they are then placed in the appropriate areas depending upon the recommended areas of interest and applicable reader ages.  In addition, parents do have to option of contesting the criteria and limiting what is read by their children at home.

Trying to limit ourselves and our children’s exposure to history and past societal attitudes appears to be another means by which we are shielding people from the realities of certain times reflected in past and modern literature.  This behavior in turn leads to more and more censorship based on one’s perceived needs to provide such protection, often to the detriment in the normal development of youth in our society.  While language evolves from one generation to another, it partly does so because of our understanding and appreciation of history itself.  Changing words to reflect current morality and societal values does not change our history.  Indeed, we are doing a disservice to up and coming generations if we continue to attempt to shield them from certain past and current realities.  How otherwise do we get the opportunity to seriously and frankly discuss certain critical issues, both past and current?  This process is what constitutes the very basis of knowledge, regardless of the disciplines involved.  How else can we learn to deal with certain realities, thereby creating a greater chance for future understanding, respect and tolerance?

We may not always like what we read, but in a democracy one has the right to be free to choose what we read.  This is what universal literacy is all about.  The more resources that we can freely access, without censorship, the better!

Canada Education Education

Leave a comment »
Feb 16

We Now Have a Generation of Survivors of School Mass Shootings

by bcurry

Since the Columbine High School attack of 1999, which left 12 students and one teacher dead and reshaped how Americans viewed mass shootings, we now have a generation of young people who have witnessed more than one school shooting.  Most recently, gunshots erupted on the vast Michigan State University campus, killing three students and injuring five others.  Unfortunately, many on campus felt a chilling sense of familiarity.  Today, several college students were just children when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 26 students, teachers and staff members in 2012.  Nine years later, the Oxford High School shooting in a nearby township outside of Detroit left four teenagers dead.  These were just but a representative few of the recent school mass shootings in the U.S.

Following the recent shooting at Michigan State University, the New York Times interviewed several students only to find that a number had also experienced a school shooting when they were in elementary and high schools.  One student interviewed on campus, who was at Sandy Hook Elementary on the day of the shooting, was reported to have said that “it was incomprehensible to have lived through two mass shootings in her 21 years.”  University faculty interviewed also noted that a number of their students had experienced a school shooting while in primary or secondary school.  Can one imagine how this latest school shooting must psychologically affect these young people?  I couldn’t imagine their current state of mind!

Those of us who attended college understand that the idea of security on campus is a difficult concept because of the size of a campus, with many buildings and facilities being frequently used by students, teachers and administrators.  Since mass school shootings occurred more frequently, colleges have introduced new security or safety measures in order to protect students and to prevent casualties from such incidents.  These include requiring key cards or photo identification to enter most campus buildings, sports facilities and residences.  Common across the country, campus wide systems were introduced whereby security alerts are sent to cellphones when there is a possible or actual threat on campus.  However, in most cases students must opt into the service, rather than opting out.  Campus police departments as part of their continuous training learn to prepare for and how to respond to threats. In the U.S., they often work closely with Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) campus liaisons to track potential threats from outside the school.  Many colleges also have threat-assessment teams made up of public safety officers, counsellors and student affairs groups, who try to spot troubled students and staff members who might be considering violent acts.  In such cases, school and community support services are made available to students with any issues.  However, this does not help those situations, as in the case of Michigan State, where the perpetrator comes from off-campus and is not affiliated directly with the school.

The ideal is that campuses of colleges and universities are meant to be open in the spirit of higher learning and freedom.  Therefore, at the post-secondary level, the authorities have to undergo a balancing act between allowing freedom of movement and enforcing security on campuses.  In the U.S. in particular, this is not an easy thing to do.  Even in Canada, colleges and universities have introduced more security measures in light of what has happened south of the border.  Fortunately, Canadians have seen far fewer violent incidents on our campuses, especially incidents involving gun violence.  Remembering back to my days in college, it is a shame that young people today go off to campuses under such a cloud of insecurity.  One has to feel for the parents who can only assume that their children are learning and developing in a safe environment.

Students today are being forced to be ever vigilant, recognizing that even college campuses are but another reflection of our societal woes.  Gone it appears are the more carefree and anticipated opportunities for growth that come with college and university experiences.  Increasingly, students are being forced to deal with continuous security and safety issues.  However, perhaps these experiences are meant to prepare young people for what they will experience in later life.  Alas, reality has indeed embraced our campuses.

Canada Education Education Gun Control US

Leave a comment »
Jan 26

Post-Secondary Education Institutes Depend Increasingly On Foreign Students in Canada

by bcurry

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada was already seeing a significant increase in the number of foreign students being admitted to post-secondary institutions.  In 2016, Statistics Canada reported that the international student population at Canadian universities almost doubled in the decade from 2004/2005 to 2013/2014, rising from 66,000 students to 124,000. In 2013/2014, international students represented 11% of all students on Canadian campuses, up from 7% in 2004/2005.  According to Project Atlas, Canada now gets five percent of all international students worldwide, making Canada the seventh most popular destination after the US, UK, China, France, Germany and Australia.  International students are fairly concentrated in two fields of study, with almost half of them studying business, management and public administration (27%) and architecture, engineering and related technologies (19%).  Foreign students pay substantially higher post-secondary tuition fees, as often as three times higher than domestic students. 

Back in 2007, Statistics Canada predicted that after 2012/2013, a major decline in the size of the youth cohorts would begin to affect enrollments, especially with current declines in domestic birth rates.  Full-time post-secondary enrolment is expected to reach a trough in 2025/2026, with a student population 9% below the peak 13 years earlier.  For this reason, one needs the influx of foreign students to financially support our higher institutions of learning, many of whom may also become permanent immigrants upon completion of their studies.  The federal government reportedly estimated that in 2018, international students spent $21.6 billion on tuition, accommodation and other expenses—an economic infusion supporting 170,000 domestic jobs and exceeding the impact of major exports like lumber, auto parts and aircraft.  Foreign students also contributed nearly 40 percent of tuition revenues at Canadian universities.  As noted, those numbers may well be higher now.  As of 2022, international student enrollments in Canada surpassed 600,000, far exceeding the government’s 2012 targets.

Since foreign students contribute billions to the Canadian economy and post-secondary coffers, it critical that international students are treated well and fairly in order to maintain our reputation in the field of higher education.  However, this reputation has recently been seriously damaged by the emergence of dozens of private, fly-by-night colleges catering specifically to foreign students.  For example, in Quebec alone there were 48 non-subsidized private colleges in 2022, up from 28 in 2015.  Overseas, there are countless local education agents whose job it is to advise prospective students on international schools, steer them to the appropriate programs and help them with the application process.  Unfortunately, for substantial commissions, many students have been directed to fly-by-night colleges in Canada.  Yet this industry remains essentially unregulated, as do recruiters’ relationships with the fast-growing private college sector.  According to Montreal immigration lawyer Ho Sung Kim, this is why so many business people are interested in the industry: “Money drives these schools, not education.”

Post-secondary education is under provincial jurisdiction, with each province responsible to oversee accredited bodies.  Since such private colleges are basically unregulated, the authorities primarily rely on the receipt of complaints before investigating allegations by foreign students.  Governments have received dozens of complaints from students about misleading promotions that guaranteed jobs after graduation, plus promises of high-quality facilities the school didn’t have and tuition refunds the college allegedly refused.  In addition, many teachers are technically not qualified to teach in their fields, and turnover is extremely high. 

Recruiting firms continue to travel to China, the Philippines, India and Mexico and have signed deals with private and public colleges in Quebec, Ontario, B.C. and New Brunswick.  Manitoba is currently the only province to regulate such recruiters.  In 2016, the province introduced legislation requiring schools to properly train recruiters and review the information they provide to students.  Much more needs to be done by the federal government who is responsible for issuing student visas, perhaps by performing background checks on such private colleges.  Such measures would go a long way to maintaining Canada’s otherwise excellent image that we’re doing a decent job welcoming and protecting international students compared to other countries.

Canada Education

Leave a comment »
Dec 11

Issues Raised Over Military’s Junior R.O.C.T. Programs in American High Schools

by bcurry

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times (Times) which highlighted the apparent mandatory participation of high school students in the military’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (J.R.O.C.T.) program.  The article points out that J.R.O.T.C. programs, taught by military veterans at some 3,500 high schools across the country, are supposed to be elective, and the Pentagon has said that requiring students to take them goes against its guidelines.

In Canada, over 57 000 youth, aged 12-18 participate in the after school and summer Cadet program: supervised and led by over 9000 military and civilian members; supported by their communities, sponsors, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Navy, Army Cadet and Air Cadet Leagues of Canada.  Cadets generally run activities one night per week, and one weekend per month, with additional opportunities for unique experiences during the summer and throughout the year.  As in the case of the J.R.O.C.T. program, the cadet program markets once in a lifetime opportunities that develop leadership, citizenship, and self-confidence.  However, unlike the J.R.O.C.T. program, it is completely voluntary.

The Times found the vast majority of the schools with those high enrollment numbers were attended by a large proportion of non-white students and those from low-income households.  The role of J.R.O.T.C. in U.S. high schools has been a point of debate since the program was founded more than a century ago.   What is disconcerting is that in many schools a student is automatically enrolled, and must put in a request in order to leave the program.  Some have described such a military program as a means to indoctrinate young people and a form of “brainwashing”.  Others, including civilian teachers, are uncomfortable with military posters and recruiters on campus and the curriculum taught in J.R.O.T.C. classes, especially as it pertains to U.S. history regarding foreign policy and military initiatives oversees (e.g. Vietnam).  Some high school freshmen are also in J.R.O.T.C. at the start of the school year in part because of a shortage of physical education teachers.

These types of military sponsored programs advertise their worth in terms of better attendance and graduation rates, and fewer discipline problems at school.  However, critics have long contended that the program’s militaristic discipline emphasizes obedience over independence and critical thinking. The Times found the program’s textbooks falsified or downplayed the failings of the U.S. government, suggesting the promotion of “fake history”.  It is asserted by some opponents that the program’s heavy concentration in schools with low-income and non-white students helps propel such students into the military instead of encouraging other routes to college or jobs in the civilian economy.  I am a firm believer that what is needed by young people is more in the line of developing “self-discipline” and “commitment” to their studies and communities.  After all, schools are expected to provide guidance and programs aimed at self-discipline and other behavioural issues.  Not all young people respond well to the forced adherence to disciplinary measures and regimentation. 

Yes, in both Canada and the U.S. without compulsory military service, there is a shortage of personnel in the professional military.  However, a mandatory J.R.O.C.T.-like program in high schools is not going to resolve the problem.  The requirements of the modern military today are totally different from years ago.  Recruiters today are looking more for better educated and more technically savvy candidates.  Indeed, they may be better off promoting military service at the post-secondary level, especially were STEP programs are available.  If eventual serving in the military subsidizes post-secondary tuitions and other expenses, then perhaps more young people would voluntarily consider such a program.  Simply having a high school diploma no longer cuts the mustard.  Governments will have to consider improving wages, working conditions and benefits just like employers in the private sector.  The concept of “patriotism” can go only so far in today’s competitive society.

Canada Education Education Education in U.S. US

Leave a comment »
Nov 30

Where Do Provincial Powers Begin and End in Canada?

by bcurry

To better understand the split between provincial and federal powers, given by Canada’s written constitution, one has to understand a little bit of the history.  When Canada became an independent country from Great Britain, the federal government was given a good deal of governance responsibilities.  Canada was formed as a confederation comprised of ten provinces and several territories.  However, the provinces eventually garnered a fair amount of responsibility for certain matters which were not national in scope.  Federally, the government deals primarily with inter-provincial areas such as transportation, banking, and inter-provincial commerce, as well as such international areas dealing with foreign policy, trade, defence and immigration.  So far so good.  However, during World War II, the federal government took control of areas of taxation in order to make war related payments.  These revenue areas were not returned to the provinces after the war. For this reason, the provinces have complained about their heavy reliance on access to federal funding for areas of primary provincial responsibility such as health, education and housing.  In addition, as the years passed, new areas surfaced of great importance such as telecommunications and nuclear energy, something that the federal government determined was in their jurisdiction as part of its constitutional responsibility for the peace, order and good government of Canada.  Over the course of the 20th century, legal interpretations of peace, order and good government more clearly defined the limits of federal authority over the provinces.  Often disputes over who’s responsible for what and to what extent end up in litigation by provinces and the federal government.  Like the old constitution of 1867, the new one of 1982 will remain vague in many areas until time and circumstance permit its interpretation by the courts.

All in all, the provinces continue to have substantial jurisdiction for areas such as education, health and urban affairs.  One area of contention has been the federal introduction of “equalization payments” to the provinces to help ensure that provincial governments across Canada can provide adequate services.  It was expected that the richer provinces would help to subsidize certain areas in the so-called poorer provinces.  For example, Alberta has its oil and gas industry which brings in large revenues to its coffers.  The federal government gets its share of taxes from Alberta’s energy sector and passes most along to the Maritime and other provinces to help provide some of the services that Canadians have come to rely on.  Quebec has also benefited greatly from the equalization arrangement, while Ontario has not.

Now, the current Alberta government is complaining about federal policies and laws that they feel intrude upon their provincial responsibilities or which Albertans are not in agreement with, such as gun control measures and environmental taxes on oil and gas sectors to name a few.  Recently proposed legislation introduced in Alberta would allow its cabinet to direct “provincial entities” — Crown-controlled organizations, municipalities, school boards, post-secondary schools, municipal police forces, regional health authorities and any social agency receiving provincial money — to not use provincial resources to enforce federal rules deemed harmful to Alberta’s interests.  This is a very disturbing development, suggesting even greater polarization between a province and the federal government.  Fortunately, the Alberta government has not gone as far as — like Quebec in the past — to suggest a potential separation from Canada’s confederation.

However, Alberta’s stance appears to be somewhat similar to Quebec’s political moves in the sixties, seventies and eighties where provincial parties promoting Quebec’s independence from Canada had emerged.  Failing to obtain a majority in two referendums on independence, the Quebec movement slowly disappeared over the last decade.  Instead, Quebec has attempted to secure more provincial control over former federal jurisdiction, such in such areas as immigration and public pensions plans.  Indeed, Quebec recently passed several contentious laws dealing with French language rights and secularism in its public sector.  The courts have already begun to examine appeals to such legislation based on possible violations under human and rights laws.

What all this amounts to is the power to govern.  The federal government has to play a fine line between what powers can be shared and what policies best serve all Canadians equally.  There is little doubt that provincial premiers will continue to gang up on the Prime Minister, particularly when to do so is in their interests.  The PM on the other hand has the difficult and delicate task of maintaining a strong national presence in governance in support of the peace, order and good government of Canada.

Canada Charter of Rights and Freedoms Defence Education Fairness in Taxation Federal Government Gun Laws Health Care Systen Immigration Policies

Leave a comment »
Sep 5

Shouldn’t We Pay Health Care and Education Workers More Because of the Valuable Work They Do?

by bcurry

If there’s one thing to take from the pandemic is that workers in the health care sector and in our schools merit more pay than they currently have.  What could be more important than ensuring that our health and the education of our children meet today’s standards as modern industrialized countries?  Yet, the pandemic and an aging population have resulted in tens of thousands of teachers and health care workers to leave or retire from their profession.  The numbers don’t lie.  Take for example in the U.S., where recent statistics highlight that there is a massive teacher shortage, particularly severe in several states and many localities.  In Canada, the Canadian Nurses Association in a 2009 report predicted that Canada could see a shortage of 60,000 full-time nurses by 2022.  The estimate is based on a number of factors, including retirement projections, but of course doesn’t account for the serious impacts of the pandemic.

What is more disconcerting is the fact that within the teacher shortage, there are certain disciplines which are critical to developing a new labour force in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.  Up until now, in both Canada and the U.S. immigrants continue to be a major source of STEM labour.  In Canada, adult immigrants accounted for 44% of all individuals aged 25 to 64 with a university degree in a STEM field in 2016, compared with 24% in the United States.  Can we continue to rely on immigrants to fill those job vacancies in high tech industries?  The teaching profession has grappled with a labour supply issue in STEM for years.  For example, according to a March 2022 report by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, over the last decade, the number of teaching degrees and certificates conferred fell 27 percent in science and mathematics education.

On top of which, there are places that serve economically disadvantaged students where they are more likely to have vacant positions.  In lower income communities and in rural areas, school boards have a hard time attracting teachers to their schools.  We know certain types of teachers are also hard to attract, in particular STEM teachers and special education teachers.  As for special education teachers, the demand outpaces the supply.  Parents with autistic children or those with learning disabilities have complained, and rightly so, for a number of years about the lack of special education support in schools.  While something has to be done to encourage students enrolled in teachers’ colleges to become special education teachers, better pay and working conditions need to be promoted and implemented.

One of the things the pandemic has really shown the public is the value that nurses particularly bring to the health system.  As a result, I would hope that people recognize the importance that nurses play in making sure we all have access to care.  Interestingly, the media coverage during the pandemic did highlight the courageous acts by and commitment of nurses.  As a result, nursing colleges have seen a recent increase in applications within both countries.  However, burnout, wage competition with other sectors and early retirement has contributed to the current nursing shortage in the short-term.  When compared to health care workers in general, nurses continue to be underpaid given the extensive degree of training and responsibilities they have.

As a modern society, one needs to take a close look at where our priorities lie.  Everyone is touched by how well our health care and education systems work or don’t work.  Following the consequences of the pandemic for our children and aging population, we need to get our priorities straight.  This takes political and societal will and commitment to resolve these current specific worker shortage issues.  This is not something that technology alone can resolve.  These are people issues, requiring people solutions.  Unfortunately, up until now, most jurisdictions have been unable or unwilling to adequately address these immediate and long-term challenges.  I predict that within the next year, one will see this issue becoming increasingly a concern in both countries.

Canada Education Education in U.S. Health Care Health Care Systen Labor Force US

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Blog at WordPress.com.