Passing The Torch

"History programs are in trouble at Canadian schools.  Math and science courses have become the focus of government mandates, and there's good reason for that, I wouldn't dispute that reason.  But what it means is that history teachers have a greater burden than teachers in other programs to engage kids so that they'll take courses and keep history alive."

Neil Orford, high school history teacher, Shelburne, Ontario

"It's an extremely emotional experience for students to come to Juno Beach around Remembrance Day, to know that they have a connection with a veteran who they've researched and documented, a veteran who's done something really powerful for Canada."

"To engage students to come here and walk on the beach in those veterans' footsteps - that's better than anything I could ever do in my classroom."

"Once the veterans are gone, who's going to come to Juno Beach?"

"The same thing applies to remembrance in Canada.  Unless you find the mechanisms to make it a core, essential part of being Canadian, once the veterans are gone then it's not going to happen.  Schools are in the best position to take up that challenge."

Neil Orford, history teacher, Centre Dufferin District High School, Shelburne, Ontario

"Everybody senses that the torch has to be passed from falling hands to the next generation.  We don't necessarily all see who the bearer of that torch should be - should it be the Dominion Institute, should it be Veterans Affairs Canada, or the legion?  I think it should be schools."

"We will never forget what Canada did for us.  We need to teach our kids about what happened.  It has to happen with teachers.  It has to start in the schools."

Roger Alexandre, 82, resident of Le Mesnil-Patry, France