A quick search for author Kurt Vonnegut shows that I've referenced his "Harrison Bergeron" short story some eight times over the past 7-8 years. Here comes reference number nine, Wikipedia has a plot summary.
The online magazine Reason reports that the public schools in Vancouver, B.C. are eliminating high school honors courses. The school board explains their actions as follows:
By phasing out these courses, all students will have access to an inclusive model of education, and all students will be able to participate in the curriculum fulsomely.
Translation: Few minority students qualify to take advanced courses, and the resulting segregation is politically intolerable. Solution: Stop offering accelerated courses. Likely outcome: Migration of many bright students to private schools, followed by a further degradation of public schools, and increased segregation.
Somewhere the spirit of Kurt Vonnegut rages, "I wrote a cautionary tale, you dolts. It's not an effing instruction manual."
