Excellent link, Wolfgang ;

"The schools in these neighborhoods are completely overburdened. The teachers are fleeing in droves, and the overall educational strategy in these troubled neighborhoods has failed. These schools were never truly able to address the crisis of immigration, because they operated on the principle that all the immigrants needed was better education in the traditional sense. What they should develop is a system that provides schools with greater autonomy, including the authority to use reform-minded educators. That, of course, requires substantial investments, both educationally and financially."

Its what teachers everywhere are saying. In Vancouver, our classes have a very high percentage of ESL students but when trying to meet the needs of mentally and physically challenged students as well, there just isn't enough time and energy. Teachers are expected to meet the needs of all students but instead of more specialized teachers, class sizes continue to increase. We have endured 10 years of budget cuts. Those cuts mean fewer counsellors, fewer ESL and Special ed. teachers and fewer resources.

Its a recipe for disastor.