Orange you glad we didn’t choose blue or red?

Halifax engineer Jeff Pinhey thinks Contrarian’s attempt “to find political intrigue in childrens’ lunch bags is beyond petty, it’s almost creepy.” Pinhey first advanced this view in a clever message whose irony sailed right over Contrarian’s head:

I am outraged at all the obviously NDP sponsored vests being worn by almost every single construction worker in Nova Scotia! And when I looked into this I found that not only are they all NDP orange with some yellow – get this – they are forced to wear them by a LAW!  We actually have been legislated to show our support for the governing party.  How Orwellian is that?

In a follow-up exchange, Jeff wrote:

I don’t give a rat’s ass what some politico-phobic people think about primary school kids’ lunch bags, but I would object if they were NOT orange and/or yellow simply because it would represent a lost safety advantage for free.

Ann Blackwood, Executive Director of English Program Services for the Nova Scotia Department of Education, doesn’t cite safety as a factor in the selection of NDP orange for the insulated school lunch bags handed out to Grade Primary students this month, but she insists politics played no role. The bags were filled with a variety of learning and play materials, and described as part of “Succeeding in Reading” and the “Kids and Learning First Education” plan.

Having teachers work with parents on how to use these bags will help children connect their learning in school and at home – and connect learning with play and creativity.

The process that went into choosing the red and orange colours* of the bags… was managed solely by professional educators aimed at getting a product with greatest appeal to children. Political colours did not enter into the discussion.

The team that evaluated submissions for the bags and their contents comprised the Department of Education’s Literacy Coordinator, Early Learning Co-ordinator, Literacy Support Consultant, Literacy Evaluation Coordinator, and a Student Services Consultant.**

The insulated lunch bag was available from our supplier in the following tote colours/trim and gusset colours: red/light orange, black/grey, blue/royal blue, green/lime green.

The team as well as support staff, who were consulted, liked red/orange for the following reasons:

• Blue/royal blue was considered, recognizing that blue is a colour often associated with boys (as pink is with girls).
• Black was considered not appropriate since bright neon colour palettes appeal to young children more than dark colours.
• Support staff thought red and orange looked fun and would appeal to both boys and girls.

It was concluded that the red/light orange bags would be most appealing to grade primary children. That was the colour that was ordered.

We look forward to having teachers distribute these learning resources to parents of Grade Primary students in four regions this month and next. They will be available to families of all next year’s Grade Primary students in September.

Blackwood made these comments in an email forwarded by the Education Department’s communications branch.

The outrage directed at the giveaway reflects, in part, anger over the NDP Government’s cancellation of the Reading Recovery program. If there is money to send home free magnetic fridge letters, the reasoning goes, why not keep a much acclaimed program? Contrarian is aware of the controversy, but doesn’t feel qualified to offer an opinion. We welcome yours, however. See the comment tab, above.

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* My informants on the school bag issue go ballistic when defenders of the giveaway claim the bags are merely red with orange trim. “The f*****g bag is orange,” wrote one. “Orange. It is not red with orange trim.”

Contrarian has arranged to personally inspect one of the bags later today, and will render a verdict that will satisfy no one.

** I do not wish to take cheap shots, but the fact the department employs a group of professionals with these titles, and the fact their duties included selecting the color of a lunch bag, does give one pause. The fact that literacy is a common element in the titles suggests that the department does see the giveaway program as, in some sense, a replacement for the much praised Reading Recovery program.