First of all, I apologize for even writing this one. This shouldn’t even be happening to create the NEED for an article. I just feel parents should be warned about what their children are now being taught in school partly because the reality of cat meat is probably far worse than they image. This report comes out of an Ontario, Canada article dated November 19. Before reading, please note the principal isn’t serious about students eating cats, but is using the topic to teach students what he considers “critical thinking.”
The lesson on eating cat is being taught by Grade 10 English teacher Brian Addunono at Barrie North Collegiate.
“Cat meat is a delicious source of protein. Because cat muscle is so dense, the meat is very tender,” states the lesson.
15-year-old Creed Matton and his mother, Bridgit Miezlaiskis told Canoe.CA News that they were upset over what is being taught. The classroom displays a poster of a small child holding a cat by the neck. The sign reads “So Many Cats, So Few Recipes.” There’s also a picture behind the teacher’s desk with a photo of a cat surrounded by two slices of bread that describe cats as another white meat.
Creed says he’s upset because he has a 14-year-old cat and home, and doesn’t find the cat eating topic funny – even in jest. The teacher has declined to comment, but Principal Dana Barakauskas believes the approach is teaching the students “critical thinking,” by not taking things at face value and to be discerning.
Barakauskas stresses brain research studies indicate students learn better when they’re engaged in class. Addunono has a 30-year teaching career and has been given an award of excellence in 2013 for a program he runs at the school.
Barakauskas goes on to defend Addunono, saying the poster shows how satire, tone, irony and hyperbole can be used to teach students. In no way is this teacher serious about harming any cats. Matton’s mother will be keeping him out of class until the material is removed.
There’s a survey being taken on the original article page that asks whether this is an appropriate subject for the English class. At the time of this article, more than 60 percent say this is NOT a concept that should be taught-ironic or not!
Please feel free to share your thoughts on this one. Again, I stress I wrote this article to inform parents to be proactive in what their children are being taught in class. This seems to be occurring more and more in high schools, and the consensus is that these questionable “lessons” need to be stopped.
Associated: Cat castration in classroom.
I WOULD HAVE THREW A FIT RIGHT IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE IF ONE OF MY KIDS CAME HOME WITH A STORY LIKE THAT.
I think I’d have ended up in jail before the day was over.
I can see you marching around to the school to give them a piece of your mind….
Why did he choose cats instead of dogs as the subject matter?
Stupid classes like this are not educational and will only serve to further devalue cats in the eyes of some.
Kudos to Bridgit Miezlaiskis for speaking up and taking a stand against this.
Agreed again. We seem to agree on most things. It was a most peculiar topic to use. So peculiar that I wonder whether there is some hidden agenda going on.
I’m not understanding the connection between this classroom “lesson” and the concept of critical thinking when the subject is pretty much considered aberrant in this society. There are many other subjects that could have been introduced, which makes me wonder if the teacher wasn’t skillfully trying to manipulate these 10th graders into thinking of cats as a food source rather than beloved companions.
I, further, think that critical thinking courses belong more in philosophy classrooms instead of english classrooms.
Yes, the subject matter is bizarre. There are countless other more suitable topics. I think the teacher dislikes (hates perhaps) cats. Simple as that.
My critical thinking here is to smack some sense into the teacher for even thinking this will help students learn. I wouldn’t go back to this class either.
The teacher must hate cats, the principal, too. I doubt they would post photos of little kids strangling or hanging or putting into sandwiches, puppies or babies. You would think if he was reasonably intelligent, he could figure out some other way to teach Critical Thinking, other than depicting pictures torturing cats. There are so many limitations on appropriate subject matter in schools, you would think this would not be allowed. Sick…..
Well said Linda. It was clearly a mistake and a very odd decision.
This is not teaching critical thinking to anyone. It`s teaching them to accept any barbarity taught them Disgraceful and stupid.
You’d think it would be illegal to even joke about something like this in school. The world has just gone crazy this year.
I’ll add some links now.
I think there may be a hidden agenda here. Perhaps the teacher hates cats or something stupid like that. To choose this subject of all subjects to make children think it poor judgement.
Are you OK? Just read about an explosion in London.
It looks awful but I have not put on the TV news about it yet.
I’m glad the mother is keeping her teen out of class til this is fixed. More should take a stand.