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Your RRSP is about more than numbers. Thats why Ill ask unexpected questions that get right to the heart of whats really important to you. We can meet at a place thats convenient for you, talk about your RRSP goals, and work together to create a plan that achieves them. > Call me to make an appointment. Kathy Quigley, PFP Investment & Retirement Planner RBC Wealth Management Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Tel: 416-553-7283 kathy.quigley@rbc.com Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. Royal Mutual Funds Inc., RBC Asset Management Inc. and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. Royal Mutual Funds Inc. is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec. Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Royal Bank of Canada 2007. 2005, VANOC. Used under license. QUIK AUTO REPAIR Now! CAA Approved Repair Shop For all your Automotive Maintenance. 905 877 8220 354 Guelph St., Unit 21 Serving Georgetown & Halton Hills for 23 years 10% OFF Labour for CAA Members RUST CONTROL Featuring Hop On Board With School Bus Safety. While youre on the school bus, follow these simple safety rules: Remain seated throughout the ride. Keep your arms, hands and head inside the bus. Keep your belongings away from the aisle. Do not distract the bus driver with loud noises or sudden movements. Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, February 20, 2008 5 Ontario Education Minister Kathleen Wynne says the leader of the Opposition and his educa- tion critic need to do their homework before crit- icizing existing guidelines about how teachers should mark late assignments. In a telephone interview, Wynne defended ministry criteria around the assessment and eval- uation of students and said the Conservative duo of Party Leader John Tory and education critic Joyce Savoline have overreacted to recent media reports about existing ministry guidelines, specif- ically regarding when teachers should consider deducting marks for late homework. In a news release issued recently, Tory and Savoline Burlingtons MPP called on Ontarios ruling party to stop encouraging school boards to ban penalties for late homework assign- ments or projects. The McGuinty Liberals are giving our kids a one-way ticket to easy street, said Tory. This policy does nothing to teach Ontario students about what it takes to succeed in the real world. The education minister said the use of the word ban is wrong. There has been a misinterpretation by the opposition.... The actual (ministry) language is mark deductions, as a consequence of late and missed assignments, is suggested as a last resort, said Wynne, emphasizing her final four words. The issue was added to a special school board meeting last Wednesday night, where associate director Ruth Peden presented an overview of the ministrys guidelines and boards policies on late assignments. This is not a new policy. It was spearheaded through the Conservative government of the time, she told trustees. Peden used the symbol of an iceberg to illus- trate the debate about late homework and mark deductions. She said the recent controversy is the tip of the iceberg but that the most important aspect, an overall view of student assessment and evaluation techniques, is represented by the bulk of the ice- berg that is not seen on the surface of the discus- sion. We need more (assessment), coaching and less of the final-evaluation-its-over-event, she said, referring to the tension caused for some stu- dents by things like assignment deadlines and final exams. Its not (about) whats wrong with the child its whats wrong with the (learning) environ- ment.... As teachers we have to believe that all students can learn and thats why were fanatics about thoughtful assessment. Several trustees say they agree with the boards policy of dealing differently with some students. Halton Hills Trustee and board chair Gillian Tuck Kutarna said her impression is that the board is in transition regarding the application of ministry guidelines and board policy on the issue. Meanwhile, Wynne reiterated that the provinces student assessment and evaluation guidelines are detailed and clear. Its basically a progressive process where a teacher has a number of tools to get kids to hand in their homework, and if not they can take marks off. So, there is nothing in the ministry guidelines that would not allow a teacher to do that. Every board has to have (student evalua- tion) policies that are consistent with the ministry guidelines, she said. If a student is looking to take advantage of a policy, just about any policy can be taken advan- tage of. I really think it comes down to individual teachers working with their kids, helping them to understand how the kids in the class are being treated (differently). Savoline said there could be extraordinary cir- cumstances where marks shouldnt be deducted for homework lateness, but she believes the kid- glove approach by the Liberals on the issue is ultimately about graduating as many students as possible. There are certain exceptional situations where leniency should be available but it should be up to the discretion of our teachers to make that decision, said Savoline. It shouldnt be exploited by the McGuinty Liberals as an attempt to prop up slipping student achievement. Education minister defends policy allowing students late assignments TIM WHITNELL Special to The IFP