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Letters To The Editor News

Ford cuts to education about control, not the budget


Education not where to cut

Striking teachers and education workers are making reasonable demands to protect public education (NOW Online, January 28). It’s time for the government to pay attention.

Doug Ford’s cuts mean overcrowded classrooms and replacing classroom learning with online courses – and that hurts our children.

This is not a budget issue but an issue of control. Even if it was a budget issue, education is not a place to make cuts. 

Rosemary Fry, Toronto

A lesson for politicians in dedication  

I was born in 1951, and went through elementary and high school at the height of the “baby boom.” The crowded classrooms and shortages of supplies led to high schools being forced to operate in shifts, with large class sizes.

What we did have were dedicated teachers. They used their ingenuity and devotion to ensure the best possible education in the circumstances for all of us.

I have not seen any change in the priorities or motivations of public school teachers in the decades since. 

For politicians who vote themselves double-digit increases in already large salaries to suggest that teachers are primarily interested in compensation shows a reprehensible ignorance of the profession.

Amanda Bankier, Toronto

Dundas streetcars look like buses

Billions To Spend On Transit, But What Do We Get For It? by Steve Munro (NOW, January 30-February 5). 

The TTC’s CLRVs are now all retired, and Bombardier has finally fulfilled the TTC’s order for new streetcars. Hallelujah, I suppose, if we can forget for the moment that bigger streetcars does not equal better service. Is that why the Dundas streetcars look like buses?

Eric Mills, From nowtoronto.com

The right response to coronavirus 

If health officials respond inadequately to a moderately dangerous virus that incubates and emerges within a matter of hours, how will they handle something truly dangerous? (NOW, January 30-February 5) Coronavirus has so far infected 5,000 people and killed more than 131 people in China. 

Canada may have been spared a serious outbreak, but our response to the illness is rather disconcerting. 

The correct response by our government and health officials would be to ban travel to and from affected countries for the duration of the outbreak. 

Christopher Mansour, From nowtoronto.com

What’s race got to do with coronavirus?

Racism has nothing to do with the reaction to coronavirus

Dr. Zhong Nanshan, director of the China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, who became famous for leading the fight against SARS 17 years ago, pinpointed on Chinese state television the likely source of the new coronavirus as wildlife. 

Are Chinese people who are avoiding any contact with Wuhan racist, too? 

John De, From nowtoronto.com

#BellLetsTalk bias

I find reader responses to your criticisms of #BellLetsTalk campaign interesting (NOW Online, January 29). 

An organization publishes critiques of Bell by people who are actually affected by mental health, and suddenly that means the organization has it out for Bell?  There are literally thousands of articles that come out every year praising Bell, but no one accuses those of bias.

Annette Smith, From nowtoronto.com

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