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•Th e IF P• H al to n H ill s • Th ur sd ay , S ep te m b er 1 1, 2 01 4 6 OPINION How alarming it is for Ontarians to see their children's math skills fall, year after year. In the past five years, the percentage of Grade 6 students who meet provincial stan- dards has declined to 54 per cent from 61. The same trend is evident for Grade 3 stu- dents, where just 67 per cent make the grade, down from 71 per cent five years ago. How can this possibly happen, one might reasonably ask, when the provincial govern- ment, unwavering in its commitment to educa- tion, has spent more and more on the school system? The answer, of course, is that you can't always solve a problem by throwing money at it. Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals should be paying attention. In response to the poor math test results, Sandals has announced $4 million more would be spent on teacher training. But she might as well have used the cash to light her summer campfires. If money alone could buy higher math scores, Ontario students would all be perfect. On this topic, this government is like a bad driver who continually gets into car accidents because it doesn't check her blind spot when changing lanes. No matter how many new cars it buys, there will always be accidents until it changes that basic safety violation. And similarly, before it can get meaningful results for children, this government needs to let go of its wrong-headed ideology and ask for advice from real experts. The education bureaucracy has long held disdain for teaching methods that emphasize "math facts," such as multiplication tables and simple arithmetic such as 7 + 8 = 15. These bureaucrats consider these kinds of tasks to be outmoded, boring and likely to disengage children. Instead, Ontario schools mostly use "discovery math," which allows stu- dents to explore concepts according to their own personal learning style. It is time for Sandals and her team to pay attention. The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of sev- eral Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copy- right. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ ontpress.com or call 416- 340-1981. The Independent & Free Press A wake-up call Letters to the editor Fall Fair Season has arrived! Do you plan to attend a fair? • No (63%,) • Yes (37%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 haltonhillsclassads@metroland.com Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. Tragic, shocking, sad. These words and many more have been used to describe Robin Williams' recent suicide. In the days since his death, many of us have been trying to understand his experience and figure out why such a remarkable life ended too soon. We have been reflecting on his suicide, depression, and ad- diction, the same struggles that we and our own friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers may face every day and that we, as a community, need to talk about. The stigma that still surrounds mental health and addictions is hurtful. There is still a common misconception that people who live with these health concerns are weak and unable to recover. Mental health and addiction concerns are real illnesses, not signs of weakness, and with the right help and support, people who experience them can live rich and healthy lives. We know that at least 20 per cent of us will person- ally experience a mental illness and many of us will also have an addiction. Open and honest talk about these topics is key to all of reach- ing out to get the help we need and making positive changes. If you or someone you know is feeling worried, down, or stressed or having trouble coping, the Ca- nadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch can help. We provide support to help you improve your wellness and feel better. No matter where you live in Halton, call us at 1-877-693- 4270. Find out more about what we do and ask about our free walk-in counselling on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Oakville. If you are thinking about sui- cide, call our 24/7 COAST Crisis Line at 1-877- 825-9011 to talk. We also provide training for you to learn more about mental health and addictions and how you can help others. Call us at 1-877-693-4270 and ask about the Mental Health First Aid course and other workshops. Let's all continue to talk openly about mental health and ad- dictions, share our own experi- ences, and reach out to get and offer support to build strong and healthy families, workplaces, and communities. Melanie McGregor Communications and Health Promotion Specialist Canadian Mental Health Asso- ciation Halton Region Branch Need someone to talk to? CMHA-Halton can help Letters must include the author's name, address and daytime phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for con- tent and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. Email: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy