As a result of a financial shortfall, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has voted to close 39 school swimming pools by 2009.
It is never beneath the NDP to use little children as props when it suits their political agenda. Apparently, 11-year-old Michaela Larrondo-Miocevich ran into Premier Dalton McGuinty last year and expressed her concern that the swimming pool at her elementary school might have to close. According to Michaela, the premier replied, “Sweetheart, I will personally look into what your pool needs”. Now of course, the pool at Michaela’s school is one of the 39 that are scheduled to close and the NDP are having a fit.
During Question Period on Wednesday, with little Michaela looking on NDP MPPs Cheri DiNovo and Rosario Marchese confronted the premier with the promise that he made last year and accused him of breaking his promise. Dalton McGuinty breaking a promise? Never! In answer to the question, the premier stated, “I think I owe Michaela the courtesy of a response. I don’t recall the exact conversation, but she remains a sweetheart nonetheless”. McGuinty went on to say that his government has increased funding to schools even though enrollment has been dropping and that the TDSB has enough money; it’s up to them to set priorities as to how that money is spent. McGuinty is of the view that school boards should be more worried about low student achievement than keeping swimming pools open. That’s one Dalton McGuinty belief that is hard to argue with.
Michaela may not be able to go swimming at her school very much longer but if she listened closely to her buddy Dalton, she would have learned a great deal. In that respect, Dalton McGuinty truly is the education premier.
Last Wednesday, Michaela would have learned that politicians in general and Dalton McGuinty in particular will say anything that serves their purpose at the moment that they say it. Most people don’t get to learn that lesson until they are much older. And many supporters of the Canada’s various Liberal parties never get to learn it at all.
Michaela might also have learned that money does not grow on trees; again, a lesson that many adults in today’s society simply fail to comprehend. There is a limit that even tax and spend governments like that of Dalton McGuinty can spend. They cannot simply keep throwing money at every problem that arises. In the immortal words of a famous mediocre Liberal leader, it’s not easy to set priorities. But priorities do have to be set. Getting a good education is more important than doing a few laps in the pool. The 11-year-old may not realize that now, but it is unlikely she will forget her political experiences and hopefully in the future she will be able to put the whole matter into its proper perspective.
Perhaps the greatest lesson that Michaela has learned is that not every problem can be solved by government. The fact that her school swimming pool may be closing does not necessarily mean that she will never get to swim again. It won’t be as easy as using the pool at her own school but then life isn’t easy; another lesson.
Michaela may never grow up to be an Olympic swimmer as a result of the political decisions that have been made, but she has probably learned more from her experiences with Dalton McGuinty than she ever could in an education system that is more consumed with spending and salaries than they are about teaching students.
Hopefully, Michaela did learn a lot from her experiences with the premier. If only MPPs like Di Novo and Marchese could learn these lessons, the province would be a much better place. But that’s asking just a little too much.
