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6 -The Canadian Champion, Fniday, August 8, 1997 SOPINION TH AIAN CAPON Box 248, 191 Main St. E., Milton. Ont. L9'T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 876-2364 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver A.noiarie Piîbin/er David Bos Geîîerîîi Managier Rob Kelly E-dilor Karen Buisman (ijrui ii, Manrager Teri Casas Pfyice Managser Tins Cotes l'isdsiioi Manaiîger The Canadian Champion, ps5lshed twice weekly ai 191 Main Si. t., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Bos 248), is ont ef The Metroland Printiol, Psblishing & Distri- bsting LIS. grosp nf sbrban campanies which inclsdles: Ajse / Pickering News Adsertiser; Allioton Herald/Cssrier, Barrie Adsance; Brampton Gsardian; Burlington Post; City Parent: Collingwssd / Wasaga Csnnectisn; East York Mîrror; Etobicoke Gsardisn; Georgetown lndependenitl Actsn Free Press; Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Markham tcornomist & Sun. Mîdiand / Penetangsissene Mîrror, Mîssîssassa News; Newmarket I Asrora Ira Banner, Northsmberland News, North York Mirror, Oaksille Beaser, Orillia Today, Oshawa I Whitby I Clarington'/ Part Perry This Week, Peterborosgh This Week; Richmond Hill I ThornhilI I Vaughan Lîberal, Scarborosîs Mirrsr, UxbridgeI Stosffviiie Tribune; Tocsy's Seniors. Advertising is accepted on the condition test, on the esenit et s typograpsîcal errsr, iSat psrtionofs the advertising space occapied by tee erronees item, together with s reasoniabie allowarnce for signature, wl» flot Ire chsrged for, but tire balance ofthie advertisement wîil be paiS for ai the appiîcable [date The pubr- lisser reserves the rîgiri te categorize advernisements or Seclîne. Missing the boat in math In the spring my third grade daughter came home with anoîher sheel of multiplication tables 10 practise. She had 10 write the answers as quickly as she could on Ibis plasîic-coaîed (so il could be erased and used over artd over) card containing 32 different questions about multiplication with the number eight. She had 10 practice il day afiter day until she could do il in lees than 60 seconds. Then she went on 10 the nines. When sbe successfully completed them ail through the I12s, she got new cards combining two tables, and so on ad infinitum. I resented it. When sbe finished the eights, 1 went back and asked her 10 do somne from the sixes and sbe had no ides of the answers - she had forgotten. Wben she successfully completed the eights, 1 asked ber to do tbem backwards, and il took ber îbree and a baîf times minutes instead of 60 sec- onds - she bad leamned îbem in order. On aver- age, sbe and ber friends spent a week on eacb card, so these multiplication drilla take up most of tbe year. Ie il any wonder tbat we are so poor in teacb- ing math and science? In November, 1996 the resulîs ot the [bird International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) was released. Il gave standardized tests 10 Il million seventb and eigbtb grade kids in 41 nations. Canada scored in the middle of the pack on most math and science. We scored bigber than third world countries, sucb as Columbia and South Africa, but mucb below many others, including Singapore, Japan and the Czecb Republic. tI gels worse. Ontario scored the lowest of ail the Canadian provinces. We really do a terrible job of teacbing math and science. How is Ibis possible? What are wc doing wrong? Some of the answers are not very comn- plicated. For example, Ontario does nol require îeach- crs 10 take any math or science courses beyond 101th grade. Many teachers don't. These teachers are leaching math and science 10 our elemenlary sehool children. Requiremenîs for such teachers clearly need 10 be bcefed up so thal we are gelling inslmuctors with a genuine interesl in math and science. Second, we spend lees limre teaching math and science than other provinces. Ontario's grade 8 teachers spend an average of 5.7 periods per week teaching science, white B.C. teachers spend 12.2 periode, Alberta spends 11.9 periods, and the national average is 7.2 periods. Similar resulîs were obtained for math. Dr. James Stigler of the US Office of Educalion conducted an analysis of different countries during the TIMSS sludy. He video- tapcd 100 claseroome in several countries, as well as questioning the aclivities of children afier school. Psychiology Children in other countnies spend about one- third of their time outside of school watching tv, so our childien are flot poor at math and science because they are couch potatoes. The most interesting resuit is that North American classrooms cover more topics and explain tbem in less depth. This is important. German and Japanese teachers make students think ai a higher level than we do. While oui cbildren are practising math prob- lems, Japanese kids are inventing different ways to solve them. While we emphasize skills, Japanese scbools focus on the development and understanding of concepts. We have students memorize formulas 10 determine percentages, while Japanese students explore different ways t0 figure tbem out. It's called divergent thinking. The notion here is that there are many ways to solve a problem. Our goal should not be to teach one strategy, but rather to teach children that there are many ways 10 solve a problem. You sacrifice breadth for depth. You cover fewer topics, but in more deptbn. It is the depth that is the key. Students learn 10 struggle witb complexity and novelty, higher level thought processes. We are not teaching il. It is ironic that many people think Japanese education involves drilling students when we are the ones who do most of the drills. 1 went ifl t0 sec my daughter's teacher 10 explain my feelings on the issue of limes tables. She knew me because she taught both of my older chi ldren (I've obviously had a great impact on lier). She suflered me well. She explained that kids need to have the building blocks belore they could use them in problcm solving. 1t old her that's how you reinforce the building blocks, by making them important to kids in problemn solv- i ng. Thinking is more important for children, so let's gel on with it. She showed me that ber approach is well within the Common Curriculum, and that t should go argue with those wbo wrote the curriculum. So, I teach my daughter to, think ai home- using monopoly games, computer games, mind- bender puzzle books - just like I did with my first two. GoId cords, the highest award in Guidlng, were presented ta two Milton Guides in June, 1972. Heme the recipients, Joyce de Koeijer (lt) and Karen Gotro <right), are pre- sented with the corda by Guide Captain Mrs. S. Gotro. It's a corporate tax myth In Tony Clarke's book Sulent Coup , Ursula Franklin argues that the so-called 'corporate rule' of Canada is like the Nazi occupation of France. Canadians are either "collaborators", or are working 10 "build a reaistance movement for the long baul". This comment, among othero, is a symplom of scapegoat bunting by spend and lax labour groupo. The Canadian Centre for Policy Altemnatives - whicb publisbed "Sulent Coup" - advocates tax hikes and increased regulation for business. Big labour's lateot gimmick is 10 parody the Fraser Institute by announcing 'Corporate Tax Freedom Day'. 'Me Fraser Institute describes 'Tax Freedom Day' as "... the date when tbe average Canadian family sIarts working for itself. Until that date, ail of a family's eamings are required 10 psy the tax man". They calculate Ibis special day by taking the esîimated total tax burden for the year imposed by ail levels of govemnment as a percenlage of total income. This year, 'Tax Freedom Day' fel on June 30 for the average family in Canada. For Ontarians, il feil on July 2. Big Labour's 'Corporate Tax Freedom Day' is designed 10 portray corporations as the source of Caîrada's deficits. Labour organizalions accuse Canadian busi- nesses of paying nexl t0 no taxes, claiming 'Corporate Tax Freedom Day' came as early as January 30. The problem wilh such a calculation is that it's off by a country mile because i1 overlooks a variely of taxes and contributions which busi- nesses pay in addition 10 income tax - taxes which muet be paid by business whelher or flot any profits were mode. These include payroll taxes (employmcnt insurance, CPP and workers' compensation), capital taxes, property taxes, and indirect tariffo such as sales and excise taxes. According 10 federal budget documents, with PAL PAGN EL "'excluding indirect taxes - for example fuel taxes - corporations paid about $57 billion in total taxes and levies 10 federal, provincial and municipal govemrments in 1995". As a percentage of pre-tax profits, corpora- tions handed over 56.8 per cent of their eamnings 10 govemrment, wbicb more accurately would put 'Corporate Tax Freedom Day' around the end of July. Labour groups want government 10 raise spending by putting the squeeze on corporations for more tax revenue. But hiking taxes on business would only serve 10 speed up the flow of jobs and capital out of' the country. In addition to killing jobs and discouraging invesîment, higher business taxes would force consumers lis pay higher prices tor goods and services, lower wages for employees, and reduce returfis 10 shareholders like seniors' pension funds. What the advocates (il hîgher taxes ioa corpo- rations laul to consider is tsaI the fortunes oif Canadians are linked bo the businesses wherc lhey work, invest and shop. If these advocates were really concerned about tax faimess and the wellare of Canadians, îhey wouldn't be using spurious data 10 justily their claim that Canadian businesses are a trea- sure trove of untapped lax revenues. Things aren't always as lbey appear. a.a..~ a.~ s O5. 5.LL5L'- '-"- ' ~--- Looking Back . 0