C:\MarioFile\paperDownEduRomanow-Sept10-99.htm

Premier Roy Romanow: Balancing the Budgets & Downsizing Education

By Mario deSantis, September 11, 1999

In last Wednesday night's televised leaders debate, Premier Romanow prided his government for

free tuition fees for first year post secondary students is just an electoral gimmick being able to balance the budgets and charged the opposition for not being able to add up

numbers⁽¹⁾. However, we must also remember that our Premier Romanow promised that

Saskatchewan would be the shining light to the world and that "...the time for mortgaging our

children's future is over. The time for building their future is here...."⁽²⁾. No Mr. Romanow, the

time for building our children future is not here yet, and your electoral promise to provide free

tuition fees for first year post secondary students is just an electoral gimmick to further divide and

conquer⁽³⁾ the electorate.

the present deteriorated state of our educational system Yesterday, the University of Regina Students' Union and the University of Saskatchewan

Students' Union had a full page on the StarPhoenix publicizing the present deteriorated state

of our educational system⁽⁴⁾. Also, yesterday, I received an e-mail from my son

Eric and he invited me to visit the web site of his mathematics professor Dr. Doug MacLean⁽⁵⁾.

Well, I visited Professor MacLean's web site and I found the disconcerting truth that our

overall substandard knowledge of mathematics and that our educational system is falling apart Saskatchewan students have an overall substandard knowledge of mathematics and that our

educational system is falling apart. Professor MacLean reported that students who received a 6%

grade on a 35 year old grade 10 algebra test had obtained final grades in excess of 80% in their high

school algebra courses⁽⁶⁾. Yes, Mr. Romanow, you were able to balance the budgets, but you have

downsized the most important resource, a resource with no price tag: the education of our children.

------------Endnotes:

1.
-
Leaders exchange political fire, by Mark Wyatt, The StarPhoenix, September 9, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2.
Saskatchewan New Democrats Home Page, as at March 14, 1999

3.
-
The Political Mission of Premier Romanow: Divide and Conquer, by Mario deSantis, April 18, 1999. Published in the North Central Internet News

4.
-
-
An excerpt of the statements publicized by the University of Regina Students' Union and the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union: "...education matters. Make post-secondary education your concern. Vote education...", The StarPhoenix, September 9, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

5.
Professor Doug MacLean's Web Page, University of Saskatchewan

6.
-
Professor MacLean's memo dated January 21, 1998 directed to Faculty members http://math.usask.ca/~maclean/memo_35.pdf

Premier Roy Romanow: Balancing the Budgets & Downsizing Education
*By Mario deSantis, September 11, 1999*

	In last Wednesday night's televised leaders debate, Premier Romanow prided his government for
free tuition fees for first year post secondary students is just an electoral gimmick	being able to balance the budgets and charged the opposition for not being able to add up
	numbers⁽¹⁾. However, we must also remember that our Premier Romanow promised that
	Saskatchewan would be the shining light to the world and that "...the time for mortgaging our
	children's future is over. The time for building their future is here...."⁽²⁾. No Mr. Romanow, the
	time for building our children future is not here yet, and your electoral promise to provide free
	tuition fees for first year post secondary students is just an electoral gimmick to further divide and
	conquer⁽³⁾ the electorate.

the present deteriorated state of our educational system	Yesterday, the University of Regina Students' Union and the University of Saskatchewan
	Students' Union had a full page on the StarPhoenix publicizing the present deteriorated state
	of our educational system⁽⁴⁾. Also, yesterday, I received an e-mail from my son
	Eric and he invited me to visit the web site of his mathematics professor Dr. Doug MacLean⁽⁵⁾.

	Well, I visited Professor MacLean's web site and I found the disconcerting truth that our
overall substandard knowledge of mathematics and that our educational system is falling apart	Saskatchewan students have an overall substandard knowledge of mathematics and that our
	educational system is falling apart. Professor MacLean reported that students who received a 6%
	grade on a 35 year old grade 10 algebra test had obtained final grades in excess of 80% in their high
	school algebra courses⁽⁶⁾. Yes, Mr. Romanow, you were able to balance the budgets, but you have
	downsized the most important resource, a resource with no price tag: the education of our children.

------------Endnotes:

1. -	Leaders exchange political fire, by Mark Wyatt, The StarPhoenix, September 9, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2.	Saskatchewan New Democrats Home Page, as at March 14, 1999

3. -	The Political Mission of Premier Romanow: Divide and Conquer, by Mario deSantis, April 18, 1999. Published in the North Central Internet News

4. - -	An excerpt of the statements publicized by the University of Regina Students' Union and the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union: "...education matters. Make post-secondary education your concern. Vote education...", The StarPhoenix, September 9, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

5.	Professor Doug MacLean's Web Page, University of Saskatchewan

6. -	Professor MacLean's memo dated January 21, 1998 directed to Faculty members http://math.usask.ca/~maclean/memo_35.pdf