Key Takeaways:
- One Grade 4 student responded in this fashion for the yearbook when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, a remark the school is asking him to change.
- Anderson’s mother, Jennifer, a former bartender, supports her son’s decision and has lobbied the school administration on his behalf.
- Mark Turner went to university to study psychology. In the Exchange District, he now owns and operates the Amsterdam Tea Room and Bar.
Bartender. When questioned what he wanted to be when he grew up, one Grade 4 kid responded in this way for the yearbook, a response the school is urging him to amend.
Last week, Zachary Anderson, a student at Whyte Ridge School, was asked the question.
“It’s a creative outlet,” Anderson, who has an uncle who works as a bartender, said. “You get to socialize and meet new people.”
Anderson’s teacher and the school administration insisted on changing his answer, which he refused to do.
As a compromise, the school agreed to create a separate yearbook for Anderson and his twin brother, who is also in the same class, with their two copies reading “bartender” and the rest reading “hospitality.”
Anderson turned down the offer.
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“Rather of making a huge deal out of it, they should just support it like the rest of the class,” Anderson added.
Jennifer, Anderson’s mother, as well as a former bartender, supports her son’s decision and has pushed for him with the school administration.
While reading the email on her phone, Jennifer received an email from the school noting that the name “bartender” could “lend itself to concerns and interpretations within our community despite her acceptance of her son’s chosen profession.”
“They’re speaking for the community, and I’m sure there are a lot of individuals in the community that either worked as bartenders in the past or do now,” she replied to the email.
“We will not be engaging the media in any talks concerning the schoolwork of an early years child,” Ted Fransen, superintendent of Pembina Trails School Division, stated in a statement to CTV News.
Some bartenders obtain certified post-secondary training, such as the bartending program offered by the Manitoba Tourism Education Council.
When asked what skills a bartender might gain, Shannon Fontaine, CEO of the Manitoba Tourism Council, replied, “Dealing with difficult circumstances, understanding when to cut someone off, working in a fast-paced atmosphere, you have to multi-task.”
She believes that instructors should not dissuade students from pursuing any career in the service industry and that some people may be confused about how far they may advance in the field.
“Many people don’t realize what a great career you can have working in hospitality,” Fontaine said. “I moved from being a front desk clerk to a manager, which led me to where I am now.”
Bartenders can also run their businesses.
Mark Turner studied psychology at university. He now owns and operates the Amsterdam Tea Room and Bar in the Exchange District.
“I worked full-time at a bar and a restaurant while I was studying, and my bartending job taught me more about human psychology than anything I learned in school,” Turner said.
Turner admires Anderson’s desire to work as a bartender and his commitment to his decision, which are qualities he values in his staff.
“I think if he wants a career, I will throw him in the dish pit as soon as he’s 16,” Turner remarked.
Source: CTV News
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