by on



“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” – Thomas Jefferson

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” – Ray Bradbury

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable. When it’s no longer profitable, the illusion will be taken away, and you’ll see the brick wall at the back of the theatre.” – Frank Zappa



What Are We Really Teaching?

When we talk about “education,” we often mean curriculum, standardized tests, and professional training. But how often do we ask:
• What kind of knowledge are we passing on?
• Are we preparing students to think critically, adapt, and thrive in a changing world?
• How are we measuring well-being, mental health, creativity, or civic engagement?

Scoring well on standardized tests does not necessarily mean students are flourishing or prepared for the future.



The Narrow Scope of Higher Education

Take a university engineering student as an example:
• Will they learn about global politics, different cultures, climate change, or ethics?
• Will they explore compassion, empathy, or citizenship?

Most often, no—unless by chance, through an inspiring professor or peer environment. Without exposure to the arts, humanities, politics, and philosophy, can we really expect graduates to make informed democratic decisions or contribute fully to society?



Why Broad Education Matters

A broad-based education—history, arts, religion, philosophy, politics, and culture—is not a luxury. It is a foundation for democracy. Without it:
• Citizens lack the context to question systems of power.
• Elections become about slogans and personalities, not policies.
• Emotional manipulation replaces logic and debate.

This is not hypothetical—we already see it in populist rhetoric and simplistic political campaigns that appeal to fear rather than reason.



The Legacy of Control

Our modern education system was built in the 19th century to produce workers, not leaders. It fills “empty vessels” rather than fostering curiosity. Elite and private schools continue to provide advantages for the few, while the majority are trained to fit into existing systems rather than challenge them.

Historically, education has often reinforced power structures rather than disrupted them. From ancient China to modern democracies, elites have used education to maintain control, not broaden it. Only rarely do we see education used to truly empower citizens.



Canada’s Challenge

In Canada, students learn little about global politics, governance beyond Parliament, or non-European histories and cultures. Yet we live in a global economy. How can students become informed citizens without these perspectives?

Government control over curriculum, standardized testing, and even delivery methods means that pedagogy is shaped by political priorities—not necessarily by educators. Should elected officials without expertise in teaching decide what students learn?



The Consequences of Shallow Learning
• Students graduate without financial literacy, civic knowledge, or even an understanding of their own health.
• Critical thinking is underdeveloped, making people vulnerable to misinformation.
• Opinions often form from single sources or trusted friends, reinforced by a fixed mindset and resistant to evidence.

International tests like PISA try to link test performance to economic growth, but results are inconsistent. Some emerging economies grow rapidly despite low PISA scores, showing that education quality must be assessed in broader ways, including creativity, well-being, and peer learning.



What Needs to Change

If education primarily trains workers, how do we nurture entrepreneurs, innovators, and democratic citizens? By deliberately broadening curriculum and assessment to include:
• Civics and government (beyond one high school credit).
• Financial literacy, taught by trained educators.
• Arts, humanities, and global citizenship as central, not optional.
• Well-being, empathy, and real-life knowledge integrated throughout.

Education should be continuous—not ending at graduation. Lifelong opportunities for formal learning can help sustain democratic societies.



A Warning from the U.S.

The U.S. shows the risks of an unequal, divided education system. Wide gaps in equity and opportunity are undermining democracy. Canada must not follow this path.

⸻

A Vision for Canada

We need a curriculum that is:
• Equal: available to all Canadians, regardless of background.
• Global: teaching world history, politics, and culture alongside Canadian content.
• Holistic: valuing well-being, creativity, and the arts.
• Forward-looking: preparing citizens for entrepreneurship, sustainability, and democratic leadership.

By doing so, we can nurture citizens who are not only workers, but also critical thinkers, innovators, and stewards of democracy.

by on

Many Canadians are waking up to the reality of having our values threatened. The United States President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to make Canada the 51st state of his country. It’s more important than ever that we define ourselves and our strengths so that we can fight against this geopolitical tyranny.

We talk about Canadian values, but does anyone spell them out? We could really use a moral compass right now and some leadership to remind us of that direction!

Here’s an attempt at spelling out Canadian values from my own personal perspective, but also from a lot of research:

Equality and Inclusion:

Multiculturalism: This policy was adopted in 1971, celebrating diverse cultures. Canada was the First Nation to adopt this policy.

Gender Equality: Equal pay and rights protections along with legal and social activism towards equity.

2SLGBTQ+AI Rights: Broad protections for the Queer community culminating in same-sex marriage in 2005. We were among the first countries to legalize!

Peace, Order and Government:

Our Constitution Emphasizes:

Social Welfare and collective responsibility

Cooperative Governance: between parties and levels of Federal, Municipal and Provincial Government

Stability of the rule of law: respect for the rule of law

Respect for Human Rights and the Rule of Law:

The Canadian Charter of Human Rights came into being in 1982, giving us civil liberties such as freedom of expression, religion and assembly

The Environment:

Policies to protect natural resources, sustainability and mitigate climate change

Bilingualism:

Canada is officially Bilingual

Reconciliation:

Canada is working towards reconciliation with its Indigenous peoples including land rights, languages and cultural heritage

Compassion and Social Responsibility:

Canada’s social safety net is an expression of fairness, equity and community caring
This includes education, public healthcare, Canada pension plan and much more

Democracy and Civic Participation:

Canada has a strong democratic tradition based on strong institutions, free elections and the cultivation of civil society.

Most Canadians believe in looking after each other. We aren’t perfect and have some really challenging social issues right now.

What’s different about Canada versus the United States?

Whereas the U.S. emphasizes individual freedom, self-determination and personal responsibility, Canada emphasizes collective well-being, social harmony and responsible governance.

Canada has a policy of multiculturalism and encourages cultural retention alongside integration, whereas the
U.S. is a melting pot model for assimilation into a unified American identity. Canada celebrates diversity in official institutions whereas the U.S. often debates diversity politically.

Canada has a universal public healthcare and strong social welfare programs, whereas the U.S. has limited supports preferring to focus on charity or private initiative.

Canada has strict gun control laws, regulated and limited, whereas the U.S. see guns as a symbol of freedom and self-reliance.

Canada views itself as a peacekeeping cooperative nation with an identity shaped by moderation, diplomacy and tolerance, whereas the U.S. is shaped by independence, exceptionalism and ambition.

Canada is more secular in public life and government policy, whereas the U.S. has strong influence by religious groups on social issues and elections.

It’s important that we work to clarify, teach and really own these values that have evolved in our great country. We must fight to protect them and ensure we continue to work towards a more inclusive, diverse and equitable society.

by on

How Leaders Should Act

If you don’t know the writings of Laozi in the Tao Te Ching from approximately 500-300 BCE, it’s worth getting to know them. This is considered by most learned people to be one of the greatest philosophical works ever written.

I was drawn to a particular chapter today that seemed wisdom for world leadership:

“If anyone with the aspiration to rule the world exerts efforts toward this,

I perceive this will most likely be unattainable.

Oh, the world is a Venerated Object,

upon which no effort can be exerted-

they who exert effort upon it will fail, and they who grasp at it will lose.

Things can be either advancing or following,

hot or cold,

tough or bowed,

waxing or waning.

And for this reason sages will

dispense with exaggeration,

dispense with extravagance.”

(translation by J. H. Huang)

What does this all mean? There is no one who has the power to dominate the world. We must treat the world with absolute reverence as our lives are reliant upon it. We must not claim dominion over things as they must exist as they are. If we don’t follow this path, every achievement will be in vain and we might even destroy the world. In their own way, all things exist beyond our control. That is why leaders need to accommodate the world as it is.

There is wisdom to follow from many sources that can correct mankind’s misguided pathways. Education is key to saving our world…but a different kind of education than we find in our school systems. An education based on humanism, wisdom and respect for the Dao (or whatever you believe is the source of enlightenment). An education that helps us all understand how to treat the world and each other with respect and dignity. An education that prevents a domination over others and the world we live in.

by on

Throughout history, the relevance of Arts and Culture has been debated. If our current education system in Ontario is a beacon for the current views, then it is considered a superfluous commodity.

I’m in the process of reading Mark Carney’s book “Value(s): Building a Better World for All”. This was published in 2021, long before a conceived run for Canadian politics.

Firstly, the book is really erudite. It covers the history of economies in various cultures from the beginnings of recorded history. Even though it is a heavy read, I highly recommend it as a deep dive into where we’ve come from and where we are now concerning economic and social values. It also speaks to the changes we need to make to have an economy that serves everyone and not just the few greedy men.

How does this economist view art and culture?

Firstly, he believes that societal values extend beyond economic metrics. He believe that art and culture contribute to our collective well-being, identity and sense of community. Carney also believes that art and culture build social capital, empathy, shared experiences and foster trust and cooperation.

Concerning the value of art and culture during economic crises, Prime Minister Carney recognizes their roles in keeping mental health and social unity. Carney believes that we need to redefine value beyond monetary considerations that include human dignity and creativity alongside economic stability.

This is a leader who believes in a morally grounded economy with shared identity and non-material wealth. What a refreshing contrast to those who just want to lower taxes, cut services and have a “me first” society.

Canadians have a real choice to make. I hope we choose values that get to the core of who we are. Those values are rooted deeply in arts and culture. Values that have us build strong community, identity and social wealth.

by on

I’m not sure I need to advocate for increased funding to Canada’s Health Care Systems. Most Canadians would agree that the systems are on life support. This is in large part due to the underfunding of these systems and sneaky conservative governments that would like to privatize them. If you make a system look dysfunctional and then offer privatization….well, many uneducated wouldn’t understand what is happening, right?

Yes, there might be some waste in the system and we need to continually work towards efficiency to leverage more money for care, but we are doing a very poor job overall. Shortages of doctors and wait times for procedures and specialist are just a few of the problems. We also don’t cover many procedures and need to have a national dental and drug program for all.

One thing I’d like to point out is that many Canadians don’t understand taxes and healthcare. Many Canadians talk about wanting to pay less taxes and have no clue what that does to healthcare and education. Less funding also guts Canadian Social Programs like Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, Canada Child Benefit, Canada Workers Benefit, Social Housing and Rent Assistance, Disability Benefits, Indigenous Support Programs, Student Financial Assistance, Food Assistance and Community Support, Higher Education and more. In progressive countries France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and so many more citizens are happy to pay taxes as they see the social benefits. These countries put roughly 25-30 percent of their GDP into these social safely systems. They get angry when cash is going under the table and people bypass paying taxes on this money. They understand how it is robbing the social safety systems. Canada only put 21 percent of our GDP into our social systems. Imagine how much better they would be every time we up that by one percent! The U.S.A. by contrast only puts 13.8 percent of their GDP into social safety systems. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the results of inequity in that country!

On the education front, we have an extremely inequitable system of education. Its inequity is growing. Why do middle class parents want to send their kids to certain public schools, private schools or even schools, from the Catholic School Board? Because these schools have more. They have enriched programs, school trips, more extracurricular activities, more technology, more arts programs and often better teachers. How did we let this happen? Does our public even realize (especially the working classes), how they are getting screwed? That the future for their children is not the same as the children from middle class families in “richer schools”. It’s shameful.

I believe that a Canadian value is that of interdependence. We look after each other….well, mostly. Or at least we have believed in interdependence, otherwise we wouldn’t have these social programs. The concern today is the influence of those who believe that they would be ok without the social programs and that they can just pay for what they need out of their own pocket with little concern about others. This attitude is often permeating from our southern neighbours. Another interesting attitude is that some Canadians think that they should pay less taxes and still have all of the social safety systems. Where do they think the money comes from to run them?

I hope that the contrast in our media of the U.S.A. versus Canada is enough for most to understand the value of fighting for and improving our social safety infrastructure. Don’t let our governments erode it. Advocate for more spending to make sure they are equitable and serve the needs of our population. Be against the privatization of education and healthcare.

Get angry. Speak out. Use your voting power and learn more about these issues. The future of our children’s world is investments in social systems. A world where we believe in looking after our fellow man. A world where we don’t leave our people on the streets to suffer and die

by on

I had the great privilege of being invited to California State University at San Marcos to co-present a poster session on a new virtual classroom my friend Jim Wolfston at CollegeNET has created.

I was really hesitant to travel to the U.S.A. with the social unrest, political turmoil and Canada’s backlash against proposed tariffs the U.S. is planning for our country.

I’m glad I went! Social Mobility is the movement to help individuals and families to move up from stressful backgrounds of economic and social poverty to better lives. Its focus is on educational opportunities as a means to gather wealth; particularly University and College education. The gaps between those with wealth and those without are widening. This is not good for societies as it can lead to social unrest or opportunistic social engineering by those who gain power for personal wealth and control. These are the times we are living in!

While the conference was happening, protests could be heard outside of the facility on campus. I was actually escorted into the building with staff and police. The protests were against ICE and the forced removal of the “dreamers” from the U.S. Although many attending the conference would like to make the campuses “Sanctuaries” for the dreamers, the administration and particularly the University President is caught in a bind. If they do this, President Trump will cut their funding and shame them. This could be the end of higher education. He’s already starting to cut funding to higher education. Educated people often can see broadly and speak against things like tyranny. That is the situation as it stands.

I heard presentations from Presidents of Universities across the nation, students and those with lived experiences of coming from various poverties into higher education. The students stories were so compelling. Those stories remind me a lot of the work I have done with families and kids in The Aeolian’s El Sistema program. Newcomer families risk everything to make a better life for themselves, but especially for their children.

The advice given by those attending including Senators and State leaders was to “Stay Focused” on the Mission and Vision of equity, diversity and inclusion. A vision President Trump and his followers are trying to kill. There is so much noise in the world right now that can derail us and wear us down. Stay focused on your vision to make the world a better place and don’t let Trump and his agenda take away your dreams and creative work to make both your own life better and the lives of those around you!