CAIS in Point

Last week, with about two hours notice, I found myself sitting on a stool in the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto preparing to appear on Newsworld. The topic to be addressed by a panel, hosted by Don Newman, was the extension of full public funding to faith-based schools in Ontario. The panelists, other than myself, were a representative of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and a former Deputy Minister of Education, now safely ensconced at OISE. My (NDP card-carrying) oldest son – whom I called upon for last minute childcare – demanded that I denounce the idea as transparent vote buying. My purist, independent school friends encouraged me to politely reject any form of government intrusion into the finances of Ontario schools. What I discovered, when I opened my mouth, was that while I was against the proposal in its current form, I wasn’t totally against the concept of increased public funding for independent schools. Here is my thinking. Sustainability, to a great extent, is all about your level of “predictable income”, that is the amount that you receive from tuition, mandatory fees, and guaranteed return on endowment. In Ontario, with no government grants for independent schools, most costs are covered by predictable income. The range in our schools in that province is from 80% to 98% with the median being around 90%. Atlantic Canadian CAIS schools are even more stable in their funding with a narrower range (90-97%) and a higher median – 94%. Compare that however to the medians in the grant receiving provinces – Quebec (74%); B.C. (81%); and, the Prairies (69%). This high dependency creates an almost “grant addiction”. When the political stripes change in their provincial legislatures, independent schools in half of the country hold their collective breaths to gauge the impact on the level of their public funding. The effects of Bills 101 and 104 in Quebec have to do more with grant support than accessibility. Boarding schools like Sedbergh, Stanstead, and Bishops College School, who receive no grants, are full of “non-eligible” students but our day schools have their hands tied as to whom they can admit in their secondary programmes by their need to receive continued government funding. So, having said all that, why would I be advocating some level of government support for our Ontario schools? To begin with, funding is all about access. I have written and spoken about the danger of us pricing ourselves into a smaller and smaller niche market. In those provinces where funding is available, tuition rates for our schools tend to be about 30% lower than their Ontario counterparts. This obviously opens the market to a much wider range of families. For example, compare the independent school enrollment rates in Manitoba (11% of all students) and British Columbia (13% of all students) to Ontario (6% of all students). Remember also that from a government’s perspective, the more students that they can entice into independent schools, the greater the savings per capita (usually 60-70 cents on the dollar) on grants to the public system. Grants are no give-away, they are a provincial cost-cutting strategy. While there is no question that funding comes with a price – Ministry scrutiny and adherence to the provincial curriculum – that is already the case for independent and private secondary schools in Ontario. The only real downside would appear to be the introduction of a culture of grant dependency in schools that are currently self-sustaining. So how could we avoid that? To begin with, should a future government decide to provide funding to Ontario independent schools, it will be critically important for those schools to accept the money but not spend it! Given the fact that their current clientele are already paying a higher level fee, there will be parental, but not fiscal, pressure to lower fees for everyone. The challenge will be to hold the line on fees and to use this new money strategically to support those students who would not otherwise be able to afford the current levels of tuition. Rather than a “one size fits all” fee reduction, grant monies could be used to build endowment or give financial assistance to an identified group of deserving students. A school with an enrolment of 250, at a grant rate of $4,000/student, would find itself with $1 million dollars per year to invest in this kind of targeted support. The recent changes to the taxing of scholarships and bursaries have created an opportunity for us to continue to attract the best and the brightest to our schools regardless of their ability to pay. What many of our schools lack are the financial resources to provide this kind of support to potential students and their families. Maybe government grants, with all of their shortcomings, might be the answer, not just in Ontario, but across the country. In all likelihood, the current debate in Ontario will be no more than a flash in the electoral pan. When I was being “de-miked” at the CBC last week, I looked around for the person who had escorted me up to the studio. A reporter who was working at a nearby desk looked up and pointed to the elevator. “You have to find your own way out” he told me, “you’re yesterday’s news now!” Provincial funding will probably have the same fate! Jim Dr. James Christopher Executive Director, CAIS

School Closures

This summer the CAIS family was saddened by the sudden closure of two of our member schools, Grenville Christian College and Grey Gables International School of Niagara. Victims of shifting demographics and financial shortfalls, both schools will be greatly missed by the student and parent communities that they served.

In conversations with both Gordon Mintz (Grenville) and Kathleen Miller (Grey Gables), they wanted me to convey their best wishes to their colleagues from across Canada and to thank them for their support during this difficult period of transition.

Jim
Dr. James Christopher
Executive Director, CAIS

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Canada’s Largest Private and Independent School Fairs

Many families who are considering private education for their children are not sure what they are looking for, are hesitant to call or visit a school, or are interested in information from various schools.

Our Kids Publications Ltd has been hosting The Private and Independent School Fairs for the past six years. The Fairs provide a relaxed, informal setting to explore options and help educate parents who want to make informed decisions about finding the best school fit for their child. The Fairs showcase a variety of schools including special needs, gifted, Waldorf, single-sex and boarding.

The one-day events are designed to connect parents with the leading private schools so they can learn about their options, ask questions and obtain information from many schools at one time. Over the years, thousands of families and schools have benefited from attending these fairs.

The Fairs draw a wide diversity of families from every income level and every age. Some families attend the fairs to learn more about the variety of schools available “This fair is excellent! Well planned, well organized and well presented. You have a great selection of schools”. Other families attend to meet with a certain school and speak with principals and admissions officers “This is the most informative event we have attended, we were able to find schools for all our three children in one day.”

In 2007, there are two annual Private School Fairs to be held in Oakville and Toronto. The Fairs will provide an expected 2,000 parents from the Greater Toronto and Halton areas with even more choice for their children. General admission for a family is $10 or families can register online for free admission at www.ourkids.net/fairs. The website also has a list of exhibiting schools and a printable list of questions to ask.

When and Where:

Sunday, October 14, 2007 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Oakville Conference Centre, Oakville

Saturday, October 27, 2007 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto

If your school would like to exhibit at the fairs, please contact Our Kids Publications Ltd at info@ourkids.net

Submitted by Agnes Stawicki, Our Kids Publications

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October is Stamp Collecting Month in Canada and Across the World

Stamp collecting is an under rated past time. It’s a hobby that doesn’t rank high on the list of things to do with the younger generation, but the older generation can lead the way.

Even a small scale collector can learn a lot from the time they spend with their stamps and the album where they are housed. Most albums are sorted by country; what a fantastic opportunity to delve into the world of geography! History too, depending on the stamps collected and the collector’s thirst for knowledge. Fun and interesting facts can be found through the usual routes such as the internet and books. But a retail stamp supplier or postal employee may also provide unusual bits of information that breath fresh life into a small static stamp.

As much as stamp collecting can teach about the past and the world in which we live, it also provides an opportunity to learn organizational skills. It takes forethought and patience to arrange an album. There are many different ways to catalogue stamps. What way works best for your particular collection to ensure easy access to particular stamps, or to enable the best presentation? These choices come up all the time at school or work and this can be a relatively stress free to practice some creative problem solving.

Next month Canada Post will be offering a set of stamps that feature at-risk animals that are native to Canada. Sharing these with your child / student could be an excellent way to start discussions on a wide variety of topics. Keep it micro by discussing one of the featured animals, or go broader and explore the depletion of wild animals, resources, etc…Possibilities abound.

Some kids may have special interests that can be linked to stamp collecting. For example, next month’s animal collection would appeal to someone who wants to collect only animal stamps. But country flags, presidents, or special events may hold appeal for others. It is a pastime that is quiet, that can be done alone, with a group, or can be a bonding experience with a special adult who enjoys the hobby too.

By keeping an eye on the special stamps sets that are available, something is sure to crop up that will interest your child. At holiday time, greeting cards, or thank you notes, can be that much more attractive to send when the stamp is festive. Holiday stamps is another fun collectors theme!

Mail is more fun to open if you want to save and categorize the stamp. What a shame that most bills arrive with a bland post mark, but even a fancy stamp might not make them more amusing and interesting.

For more details on Canada Post ideas for kids see Canada Post website.

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A Father's Letter to his Son's Teacher

We felt the sentiments of this letter were timely, being the start of a new school year.

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish politician,
there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.
It will take time, I know;
but teach him if you can,
that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found…
Teach him to learn to lose…
and also to enjoy winning

Steer him away from envy if you can,
teach him the secret of quiet laughter

Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and flowers on the green hillside

In school teach him
it is far more honourable to fail
than to cheat…

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try and give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the bandwagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…
but teach him also to filter all he hears
on a screen of truth,
and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad…
Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders,
but never to put a price tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to the howling mob…
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he’s right.

Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will always have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do…
He is such a fine little fellow,
my son!

Unknown author

Submitted by Artimizia Tellis, CAIS

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