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Weird Parents in Quebec

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Clarissa

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These parents in Quebec who are suing because they are too cheap to spend fifty bucks PER YEAR to buy their kids a dictionary and a calculator really shock me.

If you don’t have $50-150 PER YEAR to spend on dictionaries for your kid, then maybe it’s a good idea to consult the amazing birth control options available in Quebec.

Just imagine how guilty these kids feel knowing that their parents are engaged in a legal battle to avoid paying $50 PER YEAR for a calculator they need.

I don’t even want to think what kind of kids these immature parents will end up inflicting upon us.

50 responses to “Weird Parents in Quebec”

  1. Andrea Harris Avatar
    Andrea Harris

    I see what you mean (education is free but school supplies can’t be), but actually you can get a decent (paper) dictionary for around US$5.00 and a cheap plastic calculator for about a dollar and I can’t imagine they’d cost any more in Canada. It’s probably the paper and pencils that are what really cost, since those get used up and have to be replaced. And really, $50 – $100 isn’t bad — I’ve seen parents spend hundreds of dollars here on school supplies for just one kid for just one semester.

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    1. Sister Avatar
      Sister

      It’s not just the dictionaries. The overall annual cost of having a child in public school in Quebec is 50-100$ (dictionaries, calculators, locks for lockers, other miscellaneous stuff).

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      1. Andrea Harris Avatar
        Andrea Harris

        Yes I figured that out. Pretty inexpensive if you ask me.

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  2. Rob F Avatar
    Rob F

    When I went to elementary school, classes usually had a handful of dictionaries on the shelf for everyone to use.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      This is hardly the point. If parents think spending fifty bucks a year on their child’s education is a huge sacrifice, imagine how well they treat that kid in other respects.

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      1. Rob F Avatar
        Rob F

        Maybe I misunderstood the post….

        I just have difficulty seeing why it is necessary to spend $50 a year on a new dictionary, every year. Unless dealing specifically with neologisms, a dictionary that’s a few years old is almost certainly good enough. And I have difficulty seeing how they would need a new calculator every year. Surely they can use a solar powered one or simply buy batteries? I am therefore having difficulty seeing why it is even necessary to spend that much on dictionaries/calculators every year (if it was something like paper or exercise books, I could see the fees costing that much).

        And when I was in the school band, everyone had to pay for their instrument (because school band was optional).

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          That MUCH? People who think that fifty bucks per year is too much to spend on a child in Montreal should not be raising children in Montreal.

          It is completely irrelevant where the money goes. The only thing that matters is that immature greedy parents begrudge the money that wouldn’t pay for half a tank of gas in Montreal. Put yourself in a kid’s place. How would you feel if you had to face your little friends knowing you were the only one whose parents begrudge something so minimal for you and make such a spectacle of it? I actually was in this position and I can tell you that it is not very pleasant.

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      2. Rob F Avatar
        Rob F

        I agree the parents are being ridiculous.

        Maybe I’m just applying my experiences in BC to PQ (except for K and Grade 1 and 2, elementary classes always had dictionaries available; I never used a calculator for mere integer arithmetic; we had to pay a flat fee for supplies in elementary school). If that’s the case than education in PQ is different from my expectations.

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      3. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        This not the point. Workers are overtaxed in Québec, and the law is very clear on this matter.

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  3. charlesrowley Avatar
    charlesrowley

    Clarissa:

    I could not agree more with ou on this issue. Those parents no doubt spend a lot of money on things that do not matter at all in the big picture of things. Yet they feel entitled not to spend money on important educational aids. What is the matter with such people? Do they not understand that education is the most important gift they can ever to their children give other than love?

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “education is the most important gift they can ever to their children give other than love”

      – This is a beautiful statement. And very true.

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    2. David Gendron Avatar
      David Gendron

      Charles, don’t forget that those parents are overtaxed and that the law is clear on this matter in Québec. In fact, politicians in Québec are so stupid in economics that Obama is a economic genius compared to them.

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      1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
        bloggerclarissa

        And it’s a good idea to make children pay for all that?

        If people want to protest high taxes or corruption, that’s phenomenal. But not at the expense of children.

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  4. Titfortat Avatar
    Titfortat

    Im wondering, if the kids have computers why would they need a dictionary?

    http://dictionary.reference.com/

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      Teachers often don’t allow students to use computers during class time because they get distracted. My students, for instance, have to use a paper dictionary during exams. Otherwise, I get a bunch of Google Translate mumbo-jumbo papers.

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  5. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    How embarrassing for the children of these parents. These ‘adults’ (and I use the term loosely) are showing no respect for their kids. Children hate it when their parents make a fuss at school – they become a laughing stock and the target for gratuitous amusement at their expense.

    When the issue is something as ridiculous as objecting to spending $50 on their kid’s education, it’s sending the message that:
    1) their kids aren’t worth it
    2) they don’t respect their kids
    3) education is worthless

    These parents think it is a better use of their money to pay lawyers to object to spending $50. By the time they finish, they’ll have (hopefully) paid for several hundred year’s worth of eduction in lawyers’ fees.

    Luckily for these people stupidity is not a fatal disease…

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “These ‘adults’ (and I use the term loosely) are showing no respect for their kids. Children hate it when their parents make a fuss at school – they become a laughing stock and the target for gratuitous amusement at their expense.”

      – That’s exactly what I’m saying! These parents should have stopped to consider if the embarrassment this causes to the kids is really worth 50 bucks.

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  6. Ol. Avatar
    Ol.

    These parents made too litteral a reading of free education in QC. Also, never underestimate the deep stratum of anti-intellectualism in QC.

    You know that 50% of the population in QC suffers of some degree of illiteracy.

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    1. Titfortat Avatar
      Titfortat

      Ol

      No wonder they cant separate. They need another one percent to be able to spell it out for them. 😉

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    2. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “You know that 50% of the population in QC suffers of some degree of illiteracy.”

      – Never heard this. Really? Poor folks.

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      1. Ol. Avatar
        Ol.

        From this website::

        http://www.fondationalphabetisation.org/adultes/analphabetisme_alphabetisation/

        “Selon les résultats de l’Enquête internationale sur l’alphabétisation et les compétences des adultes (EIACA), 49 % des Québécois, âgés de 16 à 65 ans, ont des difficultés de lecture. Parmi ceux-ci, 800 000 adultes sont analphabètes.”

        So, sadly, yes: 50% of adults in QC cannot read and understand a paragraph.

        Sadly, ROC is not better:

        http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/education/canada-shame.html

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      2. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        It’s worse in USA, except for pre-babyboommers.

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  7. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    “These parents in Quebec who are suing because they are too cheap to spend fifty bucks PER YEAR to buy their kids a dictionary and a calculator really shock me. ”

    Oversimplification. Don’t forget that those tools should be available for free (at school, not on individual purpose) in Québec, but education boards are too heavily bureaucratic in Québec.

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  8. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    “They argue the cost of things they have to purchase for their children — such as music instruments, dictionaries and calculators — goes against the provincial law that states primary and high school education should be free.”

    This is THE point. Also, we should discuss the issue of those underuseful graphical calculators…

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “This is THE point. ”

      – For a normal parent, this can never be THE point. The only consideration should be the comfort of the child. Children should not be used as a pretext for political activism.

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      1. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        Oh, and if a monoparental mother on Social Security couldn’t afford it, what should we do about?

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          I already said that people who can’t find 50 bucks per year for their kid should use a condom. If we believe in reproductive rights, we should also believe in reproductive responsibilities. The planet is overpopulated as it is, so I see no tragedy in a person waiting to procreate until $50 per year stops being a huge amount.

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  9. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    Workers are overtaxed and school boards steal taxpayers money in a way higher level that the cost of those tools.

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  10. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/education/201202/29/01-4501174-une-ombre-au-tableau-blanc.php

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  11. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    http://argent.canoe.ca/lca/affaires/quebec/archives/2011/08/20110812-153906.html

    And this time, they won!

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  12. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    “The planet is overpopulated as it is, so I see no tragedy in a person waiting to procreate until $50 per year stops being a huge amount.”

    So nobody should breed because you don’t know in advance your financial situation…

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    1. Sister Avatar
      Sister

      If you invested time into getting financially stable prior to having kids, something really dramatic has to happen for you to suddenly be unable to afford 50$/ year on your child’s education. That being said, tragic situations do occur, but there are also lots of governmental programs to help those in temporary need. A class action suit does not represent these individual/rare cases, but rather speaks to the society’s overall sense of entitlement.

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      1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
        bloggerclarissa

        Disconnect cable for a week and you’ve got your $50. Problem solved. But some people, it seems, would never contemplate such a huge sacrifice.

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      2. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        This sense of entitlement is created by overtaxing poeple who pay the high price for this education and bad spending choices by Education boards. 240 millions in 5 years for white boards, yeah right!

        And again, there is another case where other parents won in a similar case.

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          “And again, there is another case where other parents won in a similar case.”

          – At what emotional cost to their children?

          “This sense of entitlement is created by overtaxing poeple who pay the high price for this education and bad spending choices by Education boards. 240 millions in 5 years for white boards, yeah right!”

          – as I said before, if they want to protest against high taxes, more power to them. But they are picking this specific issue without considering how it will impact the kids. That’s the problem.

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        2. Sister Avatar
          Sister

          David, we are all overtaxed indeed (mind you, people in the lowest salary bracket pay 0 income tax). However, some of us choose to loathe in self-pity, launch bogus law suits, complain that bien être social is not high enough and refuse minimum-wage jobs. Others bust their asses, wait to have children and then do what needs up be done to provide for them.

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    2. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      People who don’t have some degree of financial security should really think twice. Especially people who can’t find $50 per year for a dictionary.

      “So nobody should breed because you don’t know in advance your financial situation…”

      – I personally know that I can make a very comfortable living in very dire circumstances. Those who have survived the 1990s in the FSU, can deal with anything advanced capitalist countries can throw their way. 🙂 🙂

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      1. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        I talk about social security, not working poor.

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          I would really like to see you explain this difference to a kid who is forced to feel different at school and a burden at home.

          Just try to see the situation from the point of view of a kid. For one moment, imagine that you are 8 and your parents keep talking about these $50 and how upset they are about having to pay them. Imagine how guilty and miserable that would make you feel, especially if the parents of all your friends just pay the $50 and see no problem with it.

          I’m only saying this because I WAS THAT KID. I know what it feels like, and believe me, it is very very VERY unpleasant.

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    3. David Gendron Avatar
      David Gendron

      “The planet is overpopulated as it is, so I see no tragedy in a person waiting to procreate until $50 per year stops being a huge amount.”

      That’s what I would do myself (or simply spending this 50$) on a same situation (and I would not participate myself in such a class action), but I understand their point.

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  13. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    “Just try to see the situation from the point of view of a kid. For one moment, imagine that you are 8 and your parents keep talking about these $50 and how upset they are about having to pay them. Imagine how guilty and miserable that would make you feel, especially if the parents of all your friends just pay the $50 and see no problem with it. ”

    That’s why I would not participate myself in such a class suit (because I have too much to lose with this), but I understand their point.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “That’s why I would not participate myself in such a class suit (because I have too much to lose with this), but I understand their point.”

      – That was not the question. The question was how likely would you be to be this understanding if these were your parents and you were 8.

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      1. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        I would not like it either.

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  14. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    “However, some of us choose to loathe in self-pity, launch bogus law suits, complain that bien être social is not high enough and refuse minimum-wage jobs.”

    Maybe these law suits are bogus but these “minimum wage jobs refusals” are anecdotical.

    “Others bust their asses, wait to have children and then do what needs up be done to provide for them.”

    I have no problem with waiting a securization of the financial situation to have children. In fact, I think we should never breed.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “Maybe these law suits are bogus but these “minimum wage jobs refusals” are anecdotical.”

      – The Sister is a job recruiter in Montreal. 🙂

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      1. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        Okay, some day I would contact her to apply to those unaccepted minimum wage jobs in Montreal…maybe in 5 years…

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          Ah, you will be rich in 5 years, lending money to us all. 🙂

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    2. Sister Avatar
      Sister

      I do wish that my experience with people refusing jobs because they got almost the same amount from milking the government was in fact anecdotal. And I was recruiting for basic clerical positions, not even manual work or heavy labour. Unfortunately I’ve witnessed it first hand and it has driven me to loath people that use and abuse provincial social systems. In the end, it’s the middle class that pays for them.

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  15. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    I don’t think so. I don’t see at all an academic future in economics right now. The academic market is oversatured in economics. Maybe I will start a private teaching company, but I have to find an administrative partner before…

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    1. David Gendron Avatar
      David Gendron

      I don’t see at all an academic future in economics right now…especially when you’re a 36 old with a failed Ph D. program 10 years before.

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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