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Students speak out against cuts to Douglas College basic literacy courses

College says decision partly due to literacy students not becoming paying, credit students

Patrick oe Vaillancourt + News Editor Ris, news@ theotherpress.ca

tudents participating in

Douglas College literacy skills courses are crying foul over proposed cuts to daytime classes that they have come to rely on to learn critical life skills.

The 100-level classes, which fall under Douglas College’s English Upgrading portfolio of courses within the Faculty of Language, Literature, and Performing Arts, are attended by dozens of students who have difficulty with basic reading and writing. The cuts are targeted toward daytime classes and would affect about 12 students. The cuts to the 100-level

classes come after a review of Douglas College’s finances, where they discovered that the basic literacy classes were over-producing against the funding they were receiving from the Ministry of Advanced Education. College administration chose to cut 10.5 per cent from the Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses offered tuition-free—in accordance

with a decision made by the BC government in 2007 through the Adult Opportunities Action Plan that these literacy classes should be offered to the community free of charge.

Meg Stainsby, the dean of language, literature, and performing arts, said in an interview with The Tyee earlier this year that the cuts were made in part because less than one out of five students in the 100-level courses will progress to post-secondary courses.

“Because the mandate of the college is largely focussed on post-secondary education, and because these are expensive courses to deliver and duplicate services that are available elsewhere,” said Stainsby to The Tyee’s Katie Hyslop in March, “it felt like a very fiscally responsible way to continue to serve the population that is more in line with the mandate of the college.”

While literacy programs are available throughout the Lower Mainland, spaces are far and few. Many of the spaces in literacy programs offered at the school board-level are taken up by international students, who are literate in their native language but do not know how to read or write in English. Many of the students taking the 100-level courses at Douglas College were referred there by other community organizations.

Students in the daytime class are speaking out, saying that the literacy skills they learn enhance their quality of life and allow them to live more independently.

Bob McDonald, student, said that the class at Douglas College has enabled him to live with some measure of independence. “I have good support from my family,” said McDonald, “but I also don’t want to depend on them for everything.”

Some of the students in the daytime class are unable to attend the evening class, either due to other responsibilities or because of mobility issues.

A number of students rely on HandyDART to get to and from class. Other students are only able to attend classes while their children are in school.

Another student, simply identified as Blessing, was clearly heartbroken when speaking to the Other Press about the proposed cutting of her class. “I never had the chance to go to school—this class is my life right now,” said Blessing. She added that she was unable to fill out basic medical forms at a clinic, and would make up excuses like forgetting her reading glasses in order to get assistance.

All of the students in the 100-level courses are given additional support by tutors

provided by I-CARE, Douglas College’s literacy tutoring program.

Some of the students, supported by their tutors, have formed a committee and are preparing a presentation for the Douglas College board to plead their case. The board has yet to confirm whether they will get a chance to present their case at the next board meeting, scheduled for November 21 at

Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

the David Lam campus.

“We are fighting to get our lives back,” said Blessing.

The decision to cut the daytime class was made by the Douglas College senior management team earlier this year. The college board has the power to review the decision and direct the senior management team to revisit the issue.

Embattled Toronto mayor reveals crack cocaine use

Footage of enraged Rob Ford released one day after stunning admission

Patrick ps Vaillancourt + News Editor es, news@ theotherpress.ca

he mayor of Canada’s

largest city continues to be embroiled in controversy as questions about his judgment begin to raise eyebrows—not only in this country, but around the world.

Last week, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford shocked Toronto City Hall reporters as he admitted to having used crack cocaine “probably approximately about a year ago.” Ford, who had refused to answer any questions surrounding the crack cocaine allegations, appeared before the press corps camped outside the

mayor’s office and hinted to reporters that he wanted to be asked about the allegations of drug use.

In a later press conference, he told reporters that he had “nothing left to hide,” and felt that “a thousand pounds have been lifted off my shoulders.”

Ford has admitted to possibly using crack cocaine in what he termed “a drunken stupor,” and stated that he regretted many of his actions, including the Danforth and St. Patrick’s Day incidents. Ford has been known to cause considerable controversy for himself when inebriated.

Shortly after Ford’s admission, the Toronto Star released a video of an inebriated and agitated Ford, speaking to an unknown person, suggesting that he wanted to kill someone.

“Tl rip his fucking throat out. I'll poke his eyes out... I'll make sure that motherfucker’s

dead,” said Ford in the video. He later added “Cause I’m going to kill that fucking guy. I’m telling you, it’s first-degree murder.”

The subject of his rant is unknown.

The video, which includes a reference to a by-election, likely dates the video in August of this year. Ford had been pushing for a by-election to choose a replacement for Doug Holyday, the departing Toronto deputy mayor. The by-election did not happen, as city council voted to appoint a deputy mayor instead of doing the $250,000 by-election.

Ford has offered a brief apology for the video and expressed his deep embarrassment at the behaviour he displayed.

The video was purchased by the Toronto Star for $5,000, but it is not said to be the same video to which Toronto Police

Chief Bill Blair referred in a press conference on October 31. Blair indicated that the Toronto Police Service are in possession of video footage which he

says is similar in nature to

the information that has been widely reported in the media.

Earlier this year, Gawker. com attempted to purchase a video which is reported to show a drunken Mayor Ford smoking crack cocaine. The video subsequently disappeared, and is widely believed to now be in police custody.

These latest revelations about the mayor’s behaviour has some members of Toronto’s city council looking to strip Ford of some of his powers— chief among them the ability to appoint members of the mayor’s executive committee. Many councillors have urged the mayor to take some time off to get the help he needs.

In addition to the firestorm at

Toronto City Hall, the mayor’s Sunday morning radio show The City, which also features his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, has been cancelled.

Ford has continued to dismiss calls for his resignation, but his lawyer, Dennis Morris, has suggested that the mayor may be open to voluntarily admitting himself to rehab.

MUO Tar