The aces of info | Keeping promises, boys at school and… “Bless you”!

Every Sunday, The Press broadcasts the content of Les As de l’info, a new youth digital platform entirely devoted to daily news.

Should we always keep our promises?

Many people are furious with François Legault, the premier of Quebec. He broke his promise to build a tunnel where cars could travel between the cities of Lévis and Quebec. Did he have to keep his word? And we, do we always have to keep our promises?

Last week, the Quebec government changed the so-called “third link” project, deciding that it would be reserved for public transit.

The problem is that Prime Minister François Legault had promised citizens that if they voted for him, he would build a tunnel intended in part for cars. The philosopher for children Gilles Abel followed this series. He is answering our questions.

Are citizens right to be angry with the government?

We can understand that they are disappointed. Their confidence in the government has been affected. But when you’re a politician, you have to make decisions based on the context. There, if we see studies that show that there are fewer cars on the roads than before, that means that the situation has changed. That may explain why we’re reviewing the promise.

Do politicians often break their promises?

Unfortunately, politicians often make commitments they cannot keep. They don’t have a magic wand or superpower that allows them to control everything so that the promise can be fulfilled.

And the promises that we make to our parents or our friends, must we absolutely keep them?

Yes, we must try to hold them. But it all depends on their importance. Let’s say there are small and big promises.

For example, a child promises you that tomorrow he will give you half of his snack. If he does not keep his promise, the consequences are not very serious.

On the other hand, if a friend says to you “promise me to keep this secret”, and he tells you about a dangerous situation, for example that he is the victim of violence… There, there are risks of serious consequences for him. That’s a good reason to break the promise and talk to a trusted adult.

So there are situations that justify breaking promises?

Indeed, in certain situations beyond our control, we understand that it is sometimes necessary to give up the promise or to modify it.

Take the example of this cartoon:

In this illustration, we see that the father kept his promise to go camping, despite the terrible weather. He could also have said to his children: “It’s pouring rain, we’re going to postpone camping to another weekend. »

What if you break a promise and it hurts someone?

We have to communicate with the person, recognize our faults. For example, we can tell him that we are sad to have hurt him, that we value his friendship, that we want to find a solution. Then, you have to accept that it may take time. Gradually, the person will perhaps agree to trust us again.

Should we make fewer promises?

Yes ! Avoid over-promising and unnecessarily disappointing people. Maybe we can find other words. You can say “I’m going to try”, “it’s important for me”, or even “I’m going to do everything I can”.

Action is needed to help boys in school

Governments go to great lengths to encourage girls to study in more ‘masculine’ fields, such as science or computing. The problem is that politicians don’t pay enough attention to boys… However, many of them have difficulties at school. According to three researchers, it is time to act!

In the past, it was very difficult for girls to study at university. This is because society has long encouraged women to stay home to care for children.

In Canada and in many other countries, things have changed a lot! Over the past few decades, the number of girls studying at university has steadily increased. In 1950, women made up about 23% of students at Canadian universities. Today, they are around 61%!

Girls are therefore more likely than boys to obtain a post-secondary diploma. That’s not all: at all school levels, they often have better grades than them… except in mathematics.

Why do boys have more difficulty?

Three Quebec researchers specializing in education have attempted to answer this question in a new book.

During their research, they realized that the inequalities between boys and girls begin… in their mother’s womb! For example, male babies are more affected if the mother experiences stress or uses alcohol or drugs while pregnant.

“The challenge is to intervene during pregnancy so that inequalities are not created,” says researcher Catherine Haeck. According to her, it is necessary to ensure that all pregnant women receive the necessary help.

If nothing is done, we see that from the first years of life, girls get ahead of boys: on average, they develop language and other skills more quickly.

“It’s not normal that from the age of 5, you see differences between girls and boys,” says Catherine Haeck. And the more the years pass, the more the inequalities widen. Result: boys do not have access to the study programs that interest them, for lack of sufficient grades.

What are the solutions ?

The three scientists believe that the governments of Canada and Quebec should invest more money in aid programs for children. It is necessary to identify those who are having difficulties as soon as possible and to support them.

As an example of a solution, researcher Richard E. Tremblay mentions a program he founded that provides academic assistance to first and second year elementary students. According to him, this initiative has enabled many children to do well in school, while reducing the risk of them falling into crime.

Although this program works, it has not been extended to all schools. This is the problem, believes researcher Catherine Haeck: governments must ensure that they offer the same chance to all children.

“You shouldn’t just target boys, there are of course girls in difficulty, but by helping everyone, you help boys,” says Ms.^me Haeck.

Based on an article by Yves Boisvert

Why do we say “Bless you”?

Spring brings us lots of beautiful things… but for some people, it’s also the start of seasonal allergies and sneezing!

Have you ever felt your nostrils tickle you more and more until you cried “Achoum! »? If so, it is possible that someone has answered you “your wishes”. This is what is said to be polite when someone sneezes. But where does this tradition come from? It goes back hundreds of years.

Say “Bless you” to protect yourself from the plague

A very long time ago, in the Middle Ages, there was an epidemic of plague in Europe. It is a contagious and fatal disease. People sneezed often.

When someone sneezed, others would reply “God bless you” in an attempt to help heal the sick and prevent the disease from spreading.

Then they started saying “Bless you” so that the sick could fulfill their last wishes before they died.

Different beliefs elsewhere in the world?

When a person sneezes, air suddenly comes out of their nose and mouth. In some countries, it was believed that the soul could take advantage of this to fly away from the body. So we would say an expression similar to “Bless you” to protect the person who had just sneezed.

Obviously, these are only beliefs or superstitions. A superstition is when you believe in things that aren’t true or can’t be scientifically proven to be good (or bad) luck. For example, a well-known superstition consists in believing that if you break a mirror, you will live seven years of bad luck.

And today ?

Today, even if most people don’t believe in all that anymore, we still say “Bless you”. We say it rather out of habit, or to wish good health. Basically, it’s a nice way to say, “I wish you good health!” »

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? If this is the case, we say to you: “Bless you! »