Such a good idea to encourage private enterprise to get involve in sponsoring educational efforts, don't you think? Don't you?
In Britain, McDonald's is sponsoring a conference of head teachers - they're the ones who are supposed to be getting their pupils to eat more healthily, while religious nutter creationsists are being given hundreds of children to play with for their very own in so-called City Academies. (They only need to put in a couple of million pounds and they have control of an entire school, presumably forever - generation after generation. No wonder some parents are fighting against it.)
In the US, the right-wing, particularly the extreme right-wing, is trying to buy the campus mind, as one story has it. Not only are drug, agricultural and chemical companies funding research into products out of which they want to make a great deal of money (something of which I have experience in my early days when an animal feed company had hoped to make me and a friend their free student labour for a laborious trial), but they are trying to take over the humanities by funding projects of their own choosing. I wonder if Wal-Mart is funding research into the minimum wage, or into how to get even more state benefits for their pitifully paid employees?
Isn't it a good thing that kids will always rebel against things being shoved down their throats? Well, we hope they will.
Article comments
1 - alethinos
You tell 'em Natalie!
2 - Lilboyblue
In "City Academies"...
"the government insists that the schools are improving the standard of education in some of the most deprived areas of the country."
BAD STUFF -- VERY, VERY, BAD STUFF...
Gotta stop it!
---
In "conference of head teachers"
"But after meeting McDonald's UK director, we were convinced that they are trying to offer healthier choices."
Natalie -- have you tried McDonald's grilled chicken & salad meal?
VERY, VERY HEALTHY!
And very tasty!
Where's the beef?
3 - Joey
Natalie, where have you been hiding?
I've been on campuses many, many years, if anything the right wing is trying to establish a toehold on campuses so that they can participate as a stakeholder on itinerant ground. Incredible skewing of perceptions abound in this piece.
Where do I stand? I don't, I'm childless and am still confused why I'm being taxed to provide an "education" for someone elses offspring. Selfish? Not if I have anything to say about it. The trouble is, since I don't have children in a school system, (that I'm paying taxes for), I still don't have a voice. Furthermore, I would feel much better if my state had the freedom to exercise its authority over the local school systems, and not the FED. That way, at least people would have a 1 in 50 chance of locating to an area which would provide the type of education deemed appropriate for their demographic, or belief system.
4 - WTF
Seig! Heil!
You write like Goebbels.
5 - DrPat
like Goebbels?!?
Nope -- not a single word of German, there...
except in your comment, WTF.
6 - WTF
Nope, you're absolutely right Dr. Pat.
Too bad you don't recognize tone and timbre' when applied to writing with a rant.
Sorry, I should have made myself a bit clearer.
Here goes.
Natalie, your rant and raving was very similar and one sided to the styles employed by the great propagandists of all time, namely Goebbels, Mao, Marx, Engles and others of the same ilk. When you learn to use the written word in an effective manner, then you too will have masters the art of forensic debate. Until then, your voicing will rage upon the reader like a virago and leave the audience wondering where your style has emerged. Frankly I think that stylistically you come off rather stiff, unyielding and at first read, reminiscent of Dr. Goebbels who, in his tireless efforts to brainwash the population of Germany, succeeded in establishing the caricature of fist pounding, foot stomping, in your face ranting, of which you succeed in duplicating. With a bit of polish I believe you could succeed in emulating the head of propaganda for the third Reich, but who would want too? If that is not your goal, perhaps a quick read into the nuances of argumentative writings may be in order, which, subsequently would certainly improve your discourse.
How's that Doc, any better?
7 - Natalie Bennett
1. The problem with City Academies is that several have already been labelled as failing by inspectors and there's been no sort of independent study of the whole programme to see if it is actually working.
2. I can't debate McDonald's menus since I never go there, but I do recall reading that with at least one of the salads if you use the supplied dressing there's more fat than a Big Mac. Anyway, I think we can say in general that the meals the kids will BUY in Maccas are unlikely to meet their health needs.
3. And WTF thanks - I love a good compliment. I haven't been called a "great propagandist" for oooh, several days.
8 - Joanie
Fast food and junk food placement in our schools has been common enough here in the States that kids actually EXPECT it. The trend is now moving toward removing the soft drink vending machines and the fast food items from lunch menus.
Unfortunately, it's all about funding.