What came to mind this morning was stimulated by a full-page advertisement for the Ontario government in the Toronto Star. It reminded me of the more than 60 years ago, the first time I went through those elaborate bronze doors at the front of the Globe and Mail. The Globe was still at the corner of Toronto’s King and York Streets back then. I was a young national advertising salesman.
While the advertising domain was the fourth floor, I was soon haunting all floors of the William H. Wright Building, learning about the newspaper business. Instead of being lectured about staying where I belonged, I was soon given the special assignments from the publisher’s aerie to the back street where the bundled papers were thrown on the trucks. I even managed to be banished for life twice by the typographers for touching type in violation of their rules. I evened it up though when they went on strike and the publisher gave me all the typesetting machines in the ad alley to play with. We produced some funny ads in the early days of that strike.
But if the price of a full-page ad has not changed too much in the passage of time, I wonder about that ad for the ministry of education. I think it fits the definition of B.S.
What worries parents is how much education, their children have missed. They have good reason to be concerned and an expensive advertisement proves nothing.
It promises tutoring support. I wonder ‘by whom?’ It even promises sports, clubs and field trips. I wonder who is heading that activity?
The ad explains that the ministry is preparing students for the “jobs of tomorrow.” I wonder when the people approving this ad last read Plato’s Republic?
The ad, of course, promises more money will be spent. That is just typical conservative BS. They always promise to spend more—and then forget to spend it. The government’s own auditors have been wondering about that for some time.
And the ad even includes a promise to help students with their mental health.
Too bad we are not allowed to check out the minister’s mental health!
I think parents will be more concerned, come September, if there will be any school openings. Opening the schools will require the willing help of teachers. The expensive ad forgot to mention them. Maybe the ad is promoting private schools?
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