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Eric · 06-11-2007, 17:50

I read the article with more than a little amusement. Johnson was citing Canada, particularly the Province of Ontario as a model. A couple of years ago Ontario actually lowered the leaving age in a sense. Ontario schools used to have a Grade 13 for students who were heading for university. This was cut out, leaving universities to cope with the strain of more applicants, and the influx of younger students too immature to cope with independence. Many of Ontario's universities are now facing problems associated with underage drinking and unplanned pregnancy. The number of abortions performed at KGH has increased alarmingly and the Hotel Dieu has tripled the size of its detox facitity. The major problem facing Kingston Police Department at weekends is controlling drunken underage students. At this year's Homecoming Weekend at Queens' University a street party attended by over 7000 revellers, along with the general partying cost the city over $400,000 in policing costs. (However, the weekend festivities brought millions of dollars into the city ... all the hotels and restaurants were fully booked. Annually Queens' puts well over $1.5 billion into the city economy and the students spend over $200 million with local businesses) Fortunately for Kingstonians these drunks are good natured and only mildly annoying as most of them live in the student ghetto, and area of the city in which the large Victorian houses are converted into student housing. Another downside is that a major financial burden has been thrown onto the only partially publically funded universities, which has resulted in a dilution of the quality of higher education. (Queens' is lucky in having a well-heeled group of allumni who annually kick in millions of tax-deductable donations to their alma mater. Queens' owns a castle in England ... Herstmonceux in Sussex I believe ... and one third of the Rembrandts in Canada are owned by the University and on display at Agnes Etherington Art Gallery ... ok, so its only 2 Rembrandts, but ....) I think the point is that whatever the law, whatever the leaving age one must remember the definition of horticulture: "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think." There was one about a horse too, but I forget it.

06-11-2007, 17:50	#27
Eric God Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada Posts: 9,290 Liked: 2347 times Rep Power: 58527	Re: Raise The School Leaving Age? I read the article with more than a little amusement. Johnson was citing Canada, particularly the Province of Ontario as a model. A couple of years ago Ontario actually lowered the leaving age in a sense. Ontario schools used to have a Grade 13 for students who were heading for university. This was cut out, leaving universities to cope with the strain of more applicants, and the influx of younger students too immature to cope with independence. Many of Ontario's universities are now facing problems associated with underage drinking and unplanned pregnancy. The number of abortions performed at KGH has increased alarmingly and the Hotel Dieu has tripled the size of its detox facitity. The major problem facing Kingston Police Department at weekends is controlling drunken underage students. At this year's Homecoming Weekend at Queens' University a street party attended by over 7000 revellers, along with the general partying cost the city over $400,000 in policing costs. (However, the weekend festivities brought millions of dollars into the city ... all the hotels and restaurants were fully booked. Annually Queens' puts well over $1.5 billion into the city economy and the students spend over $200 million with local businesses) Fortunately for Kingstonians these drunks are good natured and only mildly annoying as most of them live in the student ghetto, and area of the city in which the large Victorian houses are converted into student housing. Another downside is that a major financial burden has been thrown onto the only partially publically funded universities, which has resulted in a dilution of the quality of higher education. (Queens' is lucky in having a well-heeled group of allumni who annually kick in millions of tax-deductable donations to their alma mater. Queens' owns a castle in England ... Herstmonceux in Sussex I believe ... and one third of the Rembrandts in Canada are owned by the University and on display at Agnes Etherington Art Gallery ... ok, so its only 2 Rembrandts, but ....) I think the point is that whatever the law, whatever the leaving age one must remember the definition of horticulture: "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think." There was one about a horse too, but I forget it.