I really wish I could just start smacking girls in the back of the head and that, somehow, this would help. I couldn't be in that environment, Kat, without doing violence.

I know girls date assholes but I just wish they could make the discovery BEFORE they decide to have kids. Grrr.

State funding of religious schools often developed to enable control of religious education.

In France, where secularism is one of the three pillars of the public school system, they also fund private schools, including religious schools.

Now I'm reading about the history of British education, and something mentioned teachers wearing academic gowns and my brain can't decide whether to picture Hogwarts or Goodbye Mr. Chipps. But this seemed to answer most of my questions about the religious schools. [link]

Huh. According to the link education for the poor and working classes started out mostly religious, and when public funding became significant, it went equally to religious and secular, so by the time there was any type of guaranteed right of education, publicly funded religious instruction was ]reading between the lines] too fundamental to the UK system for anyone to consider eliminating. It really it is similar to the way private insurance was embedded into the U.S. healthcare system.

In France, where secularism is one of the three pillars of the public school system, they also fund private schools, including religious schools.

There are four school systems in Montreal - English Protestant, English Catholic, French Protestant, French Catholic.

I had a random Buffista encounter today! I was crossing the street to get to my bus stop and in the middle of Michigan Ave I ran into Brenda, who appeared to be doing the same thing. Brenda if it hadn't been the middle of Mich Ave I would have stopped to chat.

Hah! I know. Not an ideal spot, but still good to see you in passing.

I was going to say something about teens and pregnancy, but I decided it would just get my blood pressure up. sigh.

So today was crazy with the running around, but it did have one highlight: I saw Anderson Cooper at lunch. He looks EXACTLY the same as he does on tv.

Cash, we had chicken chili and cornbread muffins last night, so I approve of your choice.

I was going to say something about teens and pregnancy, but I decided it would just get my blood pressure up. sigh.

Welcome to my world. I get really really angry and then I realize, so what! This is part of how systemic poverty becomes inherited poverty. One of the girls was talking about how she could do this because essentially her mom (who is like 10 years younger than I am) was going to "help," and I could only think, "yes because she did such a great job with you! That's a plan." Some things are better left unsaid.

I have so much grading. It's ridiculous.