22 — Friday, January 1 14, 1994 - North Shore News

ape .

eres!

OPRESSION TAKES many forms. People
who are racist, sexist, classist, or feel they
are better than other people for. other
superficial reasons opress those that they
think they are above. Do you agree with
this statement? Do you believe that women, °
people of color or others are held down by

these isms?

Voices from the classroom

Survey finds students apprehensive about the future

MOST CANADIAN high
school students feel better
prepared {o enter a com-
munity college than either
The workforceor a universi-
ty and, when it comes to ca-

Freer. counselling, most stu-
Gents say their schools have
~ been only somewhat heipfut.

“attention _ is’

While much of North America’s
focused on. the
-troubled: state of education, high |
“school students from. across |
« Canada ‘say “the overall quality of
their classroom : experience is good,
and ‘many. aspire to. university ‘and "
raduate | ‘degrees. :
‘These are among | the key. fin-
in’ Voices From’: the
“Classtoom “8 nationwide survey of
Canadian. students.:in’.Grades’ 11
“and 12° by. the Canadian ‘Associa-_
“tion of Principals (CAP), the Na-_
tional . Association «of : Pott
School:: Principals: (NASSP)* and ~
Sylvan Learning Centre (SLC).
The: ‘study. reveals'Canadian’ stu-
dents’ opinions | on’ a: number of!
critical “issues: ranging from.

“supporting students?
= home ° (including
ing ‘other ‘activities, ‘checking
on: homework,” and providing.
delines), » students ‘give. their
parents ‘a B grade.’
@ Students say. the most” impor-
ait things: parents can te to help
them succeed ‘in school are to en-
courage them to take responsibil-
ty, stress’ the value of’ a:good -
education; .and help them : focus
and “set, priorities. « Double-check-
ing’ homework tanks low -in im--
‘portance, Students say.

_®.Good classes and good teachers’
‘are most: important :in. motivating .,
students. than * pressure ‘or’ advice :
from; counsellors,’ parents,’ or the
school. ~ | ms

® Time” out. of. school .is more
ikely to be spent watching televi-
sion’'than ‘working. at a- job or
studying .and doing homework —
-although those. with “the highest
educational’ goals: spend the. least
amount of time watching TV.

@: Canadian students feel: they are
about as ‘well-prepared to face the
future: as ‘students: in’ the’ U.S:- or
Germany,” but believe ‘ themselves
ess. "prepared © than “students: in,
Japan.

“Its reassuring to fearn that, to
a large’ extent, parents and teach-
_eTs., ares serving ‘our’. high . school’

~ students: well,” says Jim Rooney,

immediate past president of CAP.
“By. che same token, it is im-

«portant for all of .us.to stand up

and ‘take notice. of those | areas

where. they, feel.we can: do better,”

says. Rooney, ‘‘We should’ take —
both their praise and concerns. to :
heart.” ;

v LAST - WEEK we asked what
. your goals for 1994 ares

My goal for 1994 is: “to work:
- hardest: ai ‘my . favorite: sport
“of hockey and wit the cham-
_Plonship. ao

My -sesolation is to eat’
More _ because Ym! a. skinny .
wimp.”

hands-off approach

Of particular concern are the
number of students who do not
feel well prepared to enter the
workforce or a university and
those —- more than 50% — who
say their school has been only
somewhat helpful with career
planning.

“Today’s high school students
face greater challenges than ever
before, and they cannot. succeed
without a resurgence in support
from both parents and the com-
lmunity,’? says Douglas Becker,
‘SLC president of the largest pro-
vider of after-school tutoring, in-
struction and basic skills
enhancement. in Canada and the
United States. ;

“We have discovered that the
doesn’t
work,” says Becker. ‘‘That’s why
educators are calling for ‘increased

parental initiative and suport in?

. education.” ; .

importance of parents’
; efforts -.

Students rated parental .

“to accept responsibility, stressing

the value of a good ‘education,
and helping to focus and set

» priorities is either very. or some-

what important.

Similarly, a majority of students
‘ said it. was either very or some-

what important for parents to re-
mind them of the importance of

getting good grades and take them _

for outside educational ‘tutoring
services or help.

Conversely, parents who focus
too little attention on the value of

in-
volvement important ina variety ~-
"of issues. For example, practically
all students — more than 90% —
felt that parents encouraging them.

jobs are more important to, stu-
dents overall than getting married
or owning cars, stereos and other
possessions — although more than
three-fourths of all students con-
sider all of these things cither very
or somewhat important.

Nearly all students —- 96.2% —
say financial success is very or
somewhat important. Almost as
tiany — especially rural students
— regard owning a home as im-
portant, and more than 91% —
including nearly three-fourths of
female students — say it is very or
somewhat important to have a job
you like.

‘Getting married ranked next, in
overall importance. Students from
Quebec were much more likely to
tegard getting married as very im-
portant, and female students were

slightly more likely than males to
_tank this high. .

Least important: are getting a lot
of recognition or’. being ¢ well
known for what you, ‘do and ‘hav-
ing children of. your own. ;

Survey methodology.

Voices From the Classroom is

based’ onthe responses’ of 1,500
students enrolled in 18 secondary
‘schools in six different geographic
“regions of Canada, Participating
high | schools

were strategically
Selected to make the sample as
representative as possible of the
, different types of high schools in
the country as a while,

Survey. results were provided by
Sylvan Learning Centre.

a ‘good education may: be a very... peu

important factor in: leading some
students: to drop out of -school,
according to nearly half of. those

- surveyed. : vy

Some topics are off limits
: for parents |:
When .asked ‘to indicate ‘which

‘of five problem areas or issues —

career plans, friends, drugs,
problems or sex — they would feel
comfortable discussing with their
Parents, one in.10 students said
they would not feel comfortable
talking to their parents about any
of these topics.

More than half. said: they did _

feel comfortable discussing career
plans, friends or drugs, but fewer
felt’ comfortable: discussing per-
sonal problems they are’ having or
sex.

“Female students, students from
smaller. schools, and ‘students in
Quebec were more likely to feel

‘comfortable discussing each of

these subjects with their parents.
Students’ aspirations .

“Being: “financially. successful,

~ owning a: home, and liking” their

THESE NORTH Shore kids recently won a. ‘coloring ‘contest,
sponsored by the Woodwyn store and Park and’ Tiord, mall.
in North Van city. They received. gift certificates ‘om: th

By Laila Noormohamed, ZAPI Contributor.

7 Please don't hoid a gun to my. head just because

of my color...
Does it make all that of a difference, yours Is a
> shade duller?

You treat me so cruel, ; :
\For you think lama breed, of value, far lower
thana mule. vs

Each night you spit in your rum,
Seeing my reflection in your glass, thinking it
“nothing but scum.

Night after night, you force on me your whip,

But even that, is not as harsh as your unforgiving

lip.

For the words You speak,
Redundantly tell me that I ama mistake and an
inhumane freak,

: Every chance I eet, I beg for forgiveness to your
Yo faces
And, each time you ‘answer, “Sorry son; “Tear't
help it, for it’s just the misfortune of your ;

You feed me your leftover scraps of bones and

meat, os
But not on, a plate, only at your feet.

How can your evil behavior make. you content?
. Oh Please! Free me from this sla veship. I ao :
repent! ae

Repent? F or what though? What i in the world did

Ido? ~
For you to have authority to treat me like an-
animal; I have no clue.

were a toy.
Your constant pleasures are the price
fear, now, of love and joy. a

., Seems to, me, the difference between black and

white, is the difference between king and slave.
Zam counting down the days until, for freedom,
will 1 not have to crave.

But Iam afraid that. 1a cari no longer wait ‘for you"
to see things m ny wa Ye.

This is my way.

your paint, then you would, be as equal a as $. the’.
rest of us. . .

"Just a mound of clay.

I struggled within myself as to how this poem
evolved. I sat down and started writing, not
knowing where it was leading.

At the same time, I was having flashes of all th a

movies I had seen about slavery and disrespect,

not just for the visible minority, but for people
general. I could see an image of a litile boy. with”

- tear rimmed eyes trying to escape from the. cruel -
“world he was brought into. :

Sometimes I wonder, .Why? Why. the cruelty?

‘Why do some people feel they are more important
“and better than others when it comes to equality
“amongst humans? -:

I don’t have the answer’ to that question, “but

: do have my interpretation of the‘ consequence:

Laila Noormohamed, 16, is a Sutherland Se

a ondary school student in Grade 11.:She ‘is inte:
.. ested in. photography, writing, and art. Her. possi
: ble carrer goals include interior designer, graph

artist, lawyer 1d journalist :