The letters keep coming --April 22, 2008

Most reports in favour of EFI --Telegraph Journal

In an article published April 17, our minister of education implied that five reports have recommended the removal of early French immersion. In fact, the opposite is true. Only one of these reports, the Croll-Lee report, suggested that cutting EFI would help our schools. The other four strongly recommended that the EFI classes be provided with better resources and more methods and resource teachers to help cure the problems caused by streaming.

It is baffling to ordinary citizens why Kelly Lamrock would choose to implement strategies found in a demonstrably flawed and biased report. It is therefore incumbent upon Mr. Lamrock to explain to the public why the Croll-Lee report carries more weight than the combined four other reports he has referenced.

Citizens for Educational Choice remains confident that our premier will do the right thing, and follow the ombudsman's recommendation to delay this decision for one year. This would allow for full public consultation, further examination of the Croll-Lee report, and prevent our children from becoming participants in yet another educational experiment.

ROBERT HOADLEY, Citizens for Educational Choice


Shouldn't MLAs know what they're voting for? asks Johnson --Kings Record

To the editor:
Recently a few friends and I had the pleasure of visiting a minister and MLA's office with concerns about the French second language programs. Our first question to this minister was where he stood on the subject .

‘I stand 100 per cent behind Mr. Lamrock,' he said. I want the people of New Brunswick to know that this minister openly admitted that he based his vote on no knowledge of what he was voting for. Many questions were asked about French immersion and the core program, and by the way, he didn't even know what core meant and neither did he understand what grandfathering out of the program meant.

He had absolutely no clue not even an inkling of what Kelly Lamrock's decision would mean for children of this province. Yet he voted to support and stand 100 per cent behind Lamrock's decision. How many other ministers and MLAs have done the same?

Let me be clear: I'm not saying these ministers and MLAs aren't good people they're probably great people just ignorant of certain issues they vote on. As a parent I can honestly say I would never put my vote on something without first making sure I knew all I could possibly know about what I was voting for.

Is it too much to ask that the government we voted for and put our trust in do the same? It shouldn't be, but I guess that's what some of them did. They supported something without first knowing the facts.

Lila Johnson, Penobsquis