Elite private school plans to celebrate on Tuesday evening

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      While parents of 560,000 students in strike-bound B.C. public schools will be grumbling on Tuesday, another set of parents will be celebrating.

      That's because more than 75,000 students will be back in independent schools across B.C.

      This includes St. George's, which is where some of the province's super-elite send their kids.

      On Tuesday (September 2), St. George's will be hold a barbecue to welcome back the students. Normally this wouldn't be newsworthy except for on that day, kids will likely be shut out of public schools across the province.

      I'm not going to identify any of the kids who attend this school because that's not fair when they didn't ask to find themselves in the middle of any controversy.

      Comments

      26 Comments

      Sumari MacLeod

      Sep 1, 2014 at 12:05am

      Private schools conducting their own business still isn't newsworthy. Do you want a medal for not shaming children for their parents' decisions to pad out your word count?

      What is the right thing for your readers to do with this information? Deride the kids for who they were borne to? Go crash their party? That's still putting them in the middle of a controversy!

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      Steve

      Sep 1, 2014 at 1:18am

      Full disclosure - I went to St. George's. My family wasn't by any stretch "super-elite", but I still have no illusions about the fact I was very fortunate.

      I also deeply believe in the importance of public education, and the value of great teachers. There is no way BC's economy will continue to be able to compete if all of its ~640,000 students aren't getting a great education. I hope this current (very complex) dispute is resolved soon.

      That said, you could have left your sentence above as "Normally this wouldn't be newsworthy, period." If St. George's was ringing in the new school year by having a black tie yacht auction, yes, that would be notable. But my old hockey coach slinging burgers for a bunch of 14 year olds?

      That this issue has become so incredibly partisan and emotional is one small factor in how long it's dragged out. Headlines that make it seem like top-hatted aristocrats are literally cheering shuttered public schools don't help fix that.

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      Gasp

      Sep 1, 2014 at 7:17am

      How dare these parents get the best education they can for their children! I find it appalling that these 'people' would make a mockery of parenting by doing whatever they can to give their kids the best chances of success.

      And kudos to you Charlie for not identifying these poor children, who had no choice but to be born (hatched?) to these super-elite, sub-humans masquerading as parents. They've already suffered enough, although I think public shaming via social media would probably be the best thing you could do for them in the long run.

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      ;)

      Sep 1, 2014 at 8:17am

      we all know what school christy's son goes to...I am curious if Linda's kids still go to public school. I can't see hubby sending the little prince to public school.

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      Brad Teeter

      Sep 1, 2014 at 8:23am

      Re: I'm not going to identify any of the kids who attend this school because that's not fair when they didn't ask to find themselves in the middle of any controversy.....PUBLIC schools kids didn't ask to be in the middle of this controversy either....!!!...i don't want the kids names, but it would sure as hell explain a lot to hear who the parents are....public school kids have been identified time and time again in coverage of the public school strike...yes, often because they asked to comment, but seriously...we all know parents of public schools....please give us a selection of PRIVATE school parents...we want to know.

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      Natty

      Sep 1, 2014 at 9:53am

      Ah St. Georges. What public high school girl doesn't dream about attending your occasional dances and landing a boyfriend? Sadly, many of your alum now populate online dating sites. You can spot them by their stiff personalities and overly formal manners.

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      Jeez

      Sep 1, 2014 at 10:15am

      That is one biased article. St. George's is open to anyone who has the grades and does provide scholarships and subsidies also. Your world view is eensy weensy. Sure, you may be right. But that is a super limited way of looking at this, Charlie.

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      Disgusted

      Sep 1, 2014 at 10:22am

      I hope you're including Moe Sihota in there, Natty, since he is alumni. ;-)

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      ;)

      Sep 1, 2014 at 10:34am

      some of the most pompous men come from st.georges. no dream date, there. at any age...

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      AC

      Sep 1, 2014 at 11:18am

      What is unacceptable and absolutely disgusting is for any politician, especially if forming the government of the day, to have their own kid enrolled in anything other than public school. With our outrageous taxes, they are obligated to champion and improve the public educational system.

      Ministers enrolling their own kids outside of it is a blatant slap in the face to the people they govern and a blatant confirmation that the government is doing a shitty job.

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