TUTORIAL REFLECTION:
 
 
 
 After reading over the Articles that are focused on Ontario's school system, I
found myself torn as to which side I supported. The articles addressed many
issues including the newly implemented Bill 160 that is opposed by many
teachers, as well as the mentioning the new threat of the growing popularity of
private schools. I see both positive and negative aspects with the issues raised
in these articles. It is difficult for me choose one side or the other, however,
I do think that some compromises on these issue could relatively solve some of
the conflicts and problems.
 The "NO" article that I read started off by describing Bill 160. I as a student
had not realized the full ramifications of Bill 160. Most students heard about
in on the news and were excited about the possibility of a strike and some time
off school but I am not sure how many students really realized what was
happening to our school system. This article described the new setup of the
education system and what Bill 160 was implementing in the Ontario school
system. As a student I find that Bill 160 has its good points and bad points.  I
definitely do not agree with the large budget cuts that were made by the
government when encompassing per capita funding. These budget cuts have taken
many opportunities away from students (for example, not even enough textbooks to
go around) and teachers. I also do not agree with the idea of standardized
testing. I do not believe they are effective because one cannot conclude a
class's knowledge based on one test. The result of the tests also does depend on
the teacher. Some teachers will prepare their students completely while others
will not. This proves to be unfair and students are judged on not knowing
material that they may not have been exposed by their teachers. However, on the
other hand I must recognize that there have been some helpful things put into
the Ontario School System through Bill 160. I believe that the 40 hours
community involvement is an excellent idea as it forces students to help out the
community and get responsibly involved. I also think that the Grade 10 Literacy
is an important aspect of the Bill as well. There are many illiterate students
that go throughout school without being noticed. By having the whole province
write the test the students who are weak in their literate skills are
acknowledged and given help. After reading about Bill 160 I found myself
disputing the many pros and cons of the situation. Generally I do not support
the Bill but I also do recognize great potential for some of the things the Bill
has implemented.
  Although the article starts off by forcing the reader to think about and form
their opinions on Bill 160 the main theme of the article is the "marketing" of
schools. The author explains the evolution of private schooling and how this has
affected Ontario's public schooling system. The author makes it clear that she
sees many flaws in having so many private and specialized schools but I once
again do not take a permanent stance on this issue. From reading this article as
well as having many friends in the private school system I have come to realize
how corrupt and unfair it is. I agree with the author in that you get what you
pay for. Students are getting top marks, top opportunities and acceptances into
top post secondary schools due to the price they are paying for private school.
I think that it is unfair to students who cannot afford to attend private
schools, that the students who can afford it are being handed marks while
students such as myself and classmates must work extra hard to get a lower mark
in the public school system. The author also brings up another interesting point
about the private school acceptance system. I find it unfair that schools base
their school acceptances on financial income and race. The article states that
the majority of private school students are white and wealthy. Our society has
been fighting racism for decades and I believe judging students by their race
religion or financial status is wrong. There are many flaws in the private
school system although they are hidden very well.
 However, I must be honest and admit that I am a hypocrite. I have said that I
believe that the private school system is not superior to public schooling but
if given the chance I would send my own child to a private school. I know that
private schools offer many activities and courses that regular public schools do
not and I want my child to have the experience of everything there is out there.
As a student in this present day I can see the public school system crashing
down before us. The board of education has already begun shutting down schools.
Soon the funding will become even more restricted, more schools will be closed,
and the public school system will be weakened. It is for some of these reasons
that parents decide on sending their children to private schools, as they fear
further decay of the Ontario school system.  These are the exact same reasons
that make me want to have my child in the private school system. As much so I do
not agree with their main focus on image and the "extra help" they give
students, a private school does have much more to offer. Public schools used to
be able to offer a wide variety of sports teams, field trips and hands on
learning materials but as per capita funding exists many parents have changed
their students into a private school that is well funded and offers a large
extra curricular school life. From all of this I have come to the conclusion
that everything is a viscous cycle (i.e. the school systems are getting worse so
parents take their kids elsewhere, because of that the school system gets even
weaker as they have lost more students and as a result even more students will
change schools). Either way if the amount of students in private schools keeps
escalating I believe that the public school system will be affected
dramatically.
 With all of this in mind I find myself lost as to what position to take. On one
hand, I feel the need to advertise the importance of maintaining a proper public
education system, but on the other hand, private schools have marketed
themselves to have many more opportunities. I as a student am satisfied with my
learning and the opportunities I have experienced throughout my years in the
public system but after reading this article and seeing the amount of schools
being shut down, I really do question the future of public education. In my own
way I see the marketing of schools as something that can be closely related to
two tier health care. With the direction that the private schools are taking we
are headed to a two-tier education system. Again the rich are able to afford it
and the poor are destined to stay in the suffering public system because the
rich are bailing out.
 Overall, I am glad that I was able to find out more about the Ontario School
Systems. I still have many different views on the issue, but this article
definitely got me thinking. As much as private schools do sound appealing I very
much wish to strive to protect the Ontario Public Education System. I believe
that all people of any race, religion or class are entitled to a solid
education. However, for this to happen the government needs to realize that
public schooling needs a larger budget in order to keep up with the reputable
images private schools set for themselves. I hope that the growth of the private
school industry does not lead to the major depletion of public schools.