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THE LEN LESSER REPORT  

THE LEN LESSER REPORT

 

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PRIVATE VS PUBLIC SCHOOLS 11/30/18

Good news: Private member’s Bill in the Ontario Legislature, 11/ 29/18. School bus seat belts mandatory for new buses in 2020 and retrofits by 2025

With all of the negative news of the private prestigious schools ( St Michael’s College) in the media you have to ask if you should spend your hard earned money to try and buy a better education for your children’s education?

There are lots of choices for you to consider from all boys to all girls, religious, military academies with tuition fees ranging between $10-$60,000.

Boys’ residential boarding schools have for decades often have had a jail-house- pecking- order mentality with the toughest, oldest students ruling the roost.

I suspect that some parents still think that the more money you spend on learning the better/smarter their children will be. If you get good returns on your educational investments it may be all worthwhile. If you enroll your children into private schools for the prestige it is an expensive waste of time and money. Knowledgeable teachers who have the ability to motivate their students to do well is an asset. The raison d’etre for students to do well in their studies for the most part is up to them not the parents/teachers or the school they attend.

To be successful the students needs good ability, along with good work ethics; good willpower and respect for self and others. Too many students don’t have the work ethic or the willpower.

Students for the most part should enrol in the Academic/University Secondary School courses that keeps all of the doors open for an Apprenticeships, College and University.

Folks, there is no need for private expensive schools for your children. The Thames Valley/Catholic public elementary/secondary schools offers an excellent curriculum and the teachers to work with all of the children in their care. Exceptional children who are Gifted along with those who have learning difficulties that need "Individual Educational Programs" are given a good education regardless of the affluence of their parents. All you have to do is register your children and voila the taxpayer’s of Ontario pays for your children’s education.

Who could ever forget Michael whose father, Jon, and his wife Emma, who immigrated from Holland without the ability to speak/write proper English? The parents worked on the local farms priming tobacco to be able to provide for their son a better life then in the "Old Country"

Michael made his parents very proud of his achievements. He attended Lord Dorchester Secondary School, the University of Western Ontario; graduated from The Western Law School with Honours and is now a Litigator at a very prestigious law firm in Toronto.

His parents never had a "Coat of Arms" when they immigrated to Canada. At first they could not even afford a warm coat to keep them warm during their first winter in Dorchester. They worked very hard in their new chosen county to teach their children the meaning of a proper work ethic and good values.

Parents if you want your children to be successful it is not the real- estate mantra: "Location, location." It is all about your children wanting to focus on their studies with attainable goals for their future. Parents can offer up lots of praise and encouragement for their children but like a horse to water, you cannot make them drink.

In my many decades of counseling thousands of students/parents I have never been able to encourage (buy) anyone to do anything that they didn’t want to do. It is simply amazing what young people can do if they try.

Parents please share with your children the following quotation:

"Live each day to the fullest; Get the most from each hour; each day, and each age of your life; Then you can look forward with confidence and back without regrets; Be yourself but be your best self: Dare to be different; Follow your own star; Do not be afraid to be happy; Enjoy what is beautiful; Love with all of your heart and soul; Believe that those you love, love you; When you are faced with a decision make that decision as wisely as possible; Then forget it; The moment of absolute certainty never arrives; Above all remember that God helps those who help themselves."

Anonymous.

Len Lesser is an education/career counselor in Dorchester, Ont.

Len Lesser

Len Lesser posts a report every week

You can email Len at lenlesser@hotmail.com