A little logo no match for school board Luddites

Re: Schools Spurn Free Books Over Bank Logo, Nov. 13.

So, the conspiracy theorists of our education system feel that because the TD Bank wants to give students a book free of charge, the big bad bank is attempting to take over the minds of our children.

How obtuse. The ludicrous, wrong-headedness and insecurity of some knows no bounds. Isn’t that just like the education system in general though; expecting something for nothing, while those who actually pay get no recognition.

These “education” Luddites may take comfort, however in the fact that this is the public education system — these poor children probably won’t be able to read the logo, anyway. Derek Patterson,

Burlington, Ont. When a big corporation like the TD Bank funnels some of its huge profits back into society by supporting children’s literacy, we should all be thrilled by their generosity. The school boards have lost sight of their mission, which is to ensure that kids become literate members of society. Giving every child a book to take home is a priceless contribution to that goal.

Brigitte Waisberg, Toronto.

Many believe Canadian writers’ work can now be photocopied “for free” under the fair dealing for educational purposes clause of the Copyright Act. And many others believe writer-types (I’m the author of 50+ books for children) shouldn’t put our noses in the trough and take government grants for our “work.” Now, even when our books are provided to schools by a third party (who paid for them), some “educators” turn their noses up at them.

What do they want? Clearly, they don’t want Canadian books in Canadian schools for Canadian children. They’re making it impossible for us to earn a living from producing them.

Helaine Becker, Toronto.