Only On The Walters Post

You know, when I was farming, there were always a few patches of land that didn’t look like much. Thin soil, too many rocks, wet here, dry there. Most folks would’ve written them off, but I never did. I always figured that if you feed the land right and work it like you’re supposed to, sooner or later, it’ll give back.

So what am I leading up to? Well, I read this article about how kids are being taught in schools these days, especially in Quebec. Seems to me, they’re splitting kids up just like fields. Some get planted in the good spots, well-fed, looked after, given every chance to grow. Others scrape by, but only if they fit the mold. And too many are left behind in ground nobody wants to bother with.

It’s not hard to see how that plays out. The lucky ones grow strong. The others struggle, not because they lack potential, but because they never had the same chance to take root.

But here is the thing, it’s not just Quebec. As out west, Alberta, B.C., and Saskatchewan send public money to private schools, giving some kids a leg up while others fall behind. Ontario still runs two separate systems, public and Catholic... like it’s a hundred years ago. No matter where you look, the pattern’s the same: some get more, while the rest are left to make do.

Personally, I never believed in giving up on the soil, and I sure don’t believe in giving up on kids. If a field’s struggling, you don’t fence it off and forget it. You work it, improve it, and stick with it till it starts to give back. That’s the attitude we need with our schools, helping the ones that need it most.

Truth told, this kind of sorting and separating hurts everyone. The kid who never gets a fair shot. The one who grows up never meeting folks outside their own world. The teachers, trying their best with too little. And in the end, the whole country loses, because we’re only as strong as our weakest patch.

So here’s my thought: stop sorting kids like potatoes into piles, as if some are worth more than others. Treat every child like a field worth tending. That’s how you grow something real.

Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW