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THE BRUSSELS POST, JUNE 13, 1979 — •
Board tells citizens books approved
BY JEFF SEDDON
The Huron County board
of education stood its ground
Monday afternoon telling the
Concerned Citizen's Group
of Huron county English
literature texts had been
approved according to board
policy and that was that.
In a clash with about 15
members of the group,
trustees defended board
procedures used to approve,
a list of 22 English books and
told the parents no changes
would be made to the list.
The board's approval of
the list of books was
sandwiched between a brief
presented by the citizen's
group expressing its
dissatisfaction of the board's
handling of the issue and a
15 minute question period
after the board meeting. The
presentation of the brief went
smoothly but the question
period turned into an angry
exchange between parents
and trustees.
The brief, presented by
Burt Greidanus, told the
board the parents were con-
cerned with the morals and
ethics in the school system.
The parents felt little had
been. about complaints
made to the board and that
the new board policy used to
approve testbooks shifted
responsibility.
"We wish to express our
complete dissatisfaction over
the board's handling of this
issue up until now and
demand that the board
change its stand and follow
the guidelines as set down in
the "Education Act," the
group stated it its brief.
The parents felt some of
the 22 novels approved by
the board contained "explicit
language.",
The group requested
trustees "read these books
before voting here today and
to schedule a meeting with a
delegation of Concerned
Citizens to discuss the
differences and come to a
mutual understanding in the
best interests of our
schools".
The brief was presented at
the outset of the board
session and board chairman
John Elliott urged any
trustees with anything to say
to the concerned group say
it. Elliott reminded the board
that it would be voting on
approval of the texts during
the meeting and this would
be the only opportunity
trustees would have to
discuss the issue with the
parents prior to that vote.
Trustees remained silent.
No one asked Greidinaus to
expand on the views of the
concerned parents and no
one made any attempt
support or oppose the views
of the parents.
Despite its unified stand in
support of its policy after the
meeting some trustees were
unhappy about the manner in
which they were being asked
to vote on the textbooks.
When it came time to vote
on the novels some trustees
felt the board had not had
enough time to check out the
novels.
Seaforth trustee John.
Henderson told the board he
thought approval of the texts
was given in August. He said
he understood the two month
period between the
submission of the list of
novels by teachers and the
approval of the board was to
allow trustees to look the
books over.
"Don't we get a chance to
look at them?" he asked.
Elliott explained that
according to the new board
policy , approved two
months ago, board approval
was to be given at the June
session.He said teachers had
been asked to submit a list of
texts to principals along with
rationale explaining why the
novels were chosen and what
educational benefits they
had. That list of novels was
taken to a speCial day long
session of the education
committee which was open to
the public and advertised. At
that education committee
approved novels and
recommended to the board
that its approval also be
given.
W Ingham trustee Bert
Morin told the board trustees
had had ample time to sit
down with teachers and
review the books but added
that because trustees had not
understood the policy the
matter could be tabled until
the board's August meeting.
Goderich trustee Dorothy
Wallace said she could
support a motion to table the
books if trustees would give
her a guarantee they would
read all the books.
"If anyone thinks I'm
going to, sit down and read 22
books between now and next
month you can forget it,"
said separate school trustee
Eugene Frayne,. "We've got
to go on the
recommendations, of the
teachers that's why I made
the motion to approve the
books."
The motion to table the
decision was defeated and
trustees approved the novels
by a 13.3 margin. Clinton
trustee Dorothy Williams
told the board she had one
more novel she wanted to
check and had to vote against
approval. She was joined by
Gower and Henderson.
Members of the concerned
citizens groups waited until
the end of the board session
to ask trustees to justify their
decision. Grace Austin told
the board the some of the
novels it had approved used
the name of God in a
disrespectful way aginst the
beliefs of the community the
board repre.sented.
Eugene Frayne, trustess
fox separate school
supporters, launched a tirade
against the book controversy
after it became apparent the
!matter was going to con-
Itinue,
Frayne said the board tried
to be fair in its dealings for
and against the novels
adding he had "not changed
his positon hardly one bit
since the day I came here."
He told the board he didn't
approve of literature that was
"abusive or lowered the
dignity of man" adding "it's
not my job to study every
book and say this is what the
people of Huron County
should be reading".
"When my car is broken I
go to a garage, when I'm sick
I go to a doctor, when my
tooth aches I go to a dentist
and when I want good food I
go to a farmer," said Frayne.
"And when I want my kids
educated I go to someone
that is trained to do that."
He said he was doing his
best as a trustee and was
criticized for banning books
and for not banning books.;
He said he had been told he
had no morals or ethics for
not banning some novels.
(Continued on Page 16)
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