HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-05-23, Page 2plippprIgnml in••••M
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Contribution, to youth
4Brussels Post "...
ONTARIO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1973
-Serving Brussels and the surrounding community
published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley - Advertising
Meniber Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association:
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others
$5,00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents. each.
Second class mail Registration No. 0562,
Telephone 887-664.1.
Stairs
Sugar and Spice
By Bill Smiley
Each week this'paper and most
community papers across Ontario
carry stories of the activities of
farm youth under the heading of
4 H News.
The 4 H program which, in Huron
County alone 600 young people are
engaged, this year in marking its
sixtieth anniversary.
4 H is a nation wide educational
program the primary goal of which
is to develop young people, par-
ticularly rural young people , not
only as responsible members of so-
ciety but also as better informed,
better trained people in the ac-
tivity of their interest whether it
be livestock, machinery or house-
keeping.
Mental, emotional, social and
physical growth are emphasized by
the words from which the name "4 H"
is derived - "Head, Heart, Hand and
Health".
The program, which is financed by
the federal 'and provincial govern-
ments in Ontario is carried out on a
county basis under the direction of
the county agricultural representa-
tive,
During the years the pro
been underway. in Huron seve
sand Huron boys and girls h
fitted from their associati
it. They have developed ski
subjects of interest and 1/6
have acquired leadership qu
decision making abilities a
of responsibility, Regardle
what later pursuits they ha
as they matured and went ou
world on' their own, the exp
they had during their 4H ac
cannot help but have stood
good stead.
The 4 H movement is almost entirely
oriented towards the farm and farm
youth. We wander if in some fashion
youth in the smaller communities such.
s the towns in Huron would not benefit
equally as much if they had the oppor-
tunity to take part in clubs which
featured subjects in which they might
be interested - merchaftdititg 4 garage.
work, store management at examolet,
Perhaps what is heeded it for the
orovitce to ettablith in each county
town representatives'' Who
would provide the same free tem/foe
ate' have the same eetoottibjlititt
ttwards'people in the smaller tom
tutitiet as have the agricultural
representatives in the rural tom
mutitie
There appears to be a general and
growing concern about the quality of
education these days. Not only are
teachers concerned, and they are, but
students and parents are beginning to
feel that they are being short-changed.
A couple of letters to the editors
of two daily papers recently were reveal-
ing.
In one, a university student stated that
he had read a 2,000-word essay written
by a friend, who was an honour student,
In the essay, there was one (1) sentence
which did not have a spelling or grammar
error. And that was the sentence in which
he repeated the professor's topic.
In the other letter, a girl Who dropped
out of school three years ago because of
the rigidity of the system, was flaming
mad. She returned to Oracle. 12 this
year and discovered, as she put it "that
education had disappeared in the interim."
This young lady said flatly that while
teachers used to teach for the average in
the class, they are now teaching toward
the poorest students, with the keen and
bright ones left to fend for themselves.
In her opinion, standards had dropped
drastically in three years.
There are few teachers who would not
agree With her On the last point Adminis-
trators and "educationists'', whatever
they are, right up to the minister, blandly
assure the pUblic, via the media, that
standards have net been lowered,
Perhaps they should take off their
r088-tolotired glasses and take a good,
clear 100k at reality. But they have
managed to Wrap themselves in such afog
Of educational jargon that they wouldn't
know reality unless it tarrie up and bit
thett.
What's happened? Maybe Pm preju-
diced, but I dou't think the fault lies 'with
the teachers: 'TO. my definite knowledge,
they are working harder than ever ; Under
Steadily worsening conditions,
,They are teething as, many asi two
More ClasSeS a day then they Were three
years ago, They are tieing more of the
tiiedaisa.
Such
ntan ,a
one
i d tmdducap,tr Otria.6tig 1 ehr peaStrtholail
they d
AS some teachers can cafeteria super.
vision. the' ha-the is not inaccurete.
A few years ago; wisetviging a
dance was art Odra 6116i* but
iew teachers really minded 'Ono chatted
With. the students, deplored their taste in
music, but felt that a good tittle wao being
had by all.
Everybody was dressed up and happy.
The lights in the gym were turned down
but not out. There might be the odd case of
a kid smoking pot or slightly under the
influence but they were rareties. A
regular Sunday school picnic.
Nowadays it's more like Saturday night
in Dodge City. Ac darkened gym except
for the stage where four or five aboons.
caper and scream incomprehenSibles to
'the accompaniment of a: volume of sound
that would make a boiler factory ",sound
like a cemetery.'
Someone has thrown up again in the
boys' washroom. Two grim-faced cops
stand by the entrance. A teenage girl
is caught rum-running not one, but six
mickeys of rye.
In the good old days, years ago, a young
buck could Wear his Own Mickey in his hip
pocket, covered by his jacket. TOday, his
pants are se tight he couldn't get anything
in that pocket so he haS some little girl take
it in for hiin. But sixt
I'm drifting away front my topic, but
not entirely. The defiance of rules, the
demand for new irtrights" is all part of
the school scene today. It's a curious
mixture Of apathy and mindless defiance.
I sound as though I'm blaming the
kids. I'm not. They're human, They'll
take what they can get and demand More,
They're A pretty decent let, on the Whole.
But what girl won't wear Iliphuggers if
she's allowed to wear jeans, or a blouse
slit to the navel if she doesn't have to
Wear a bra? What young man of sixteen
wouldn't like to have a crack at growing
a beard?
NO the real culprit is neither teachers
nor kids. It is the little empire-builders
in. the system. They are so far away' from
the classroom, and the taxpayers, that
they have atquited a god-CoMpiex,
they've never been in a classroom,
not bet years.. And if they are to .preserve
and ekpatid their empires, they must
appear to be doipg tornethitig, 8o they
scratch each others -backs, come up with
revolutionary Ideas that were stale forty
years ago; and hide behind a satild4ike
eitiSsion of gobbled goOk: such AS1 tiliptit'
"feed'-back'' con-,
cepts" and "individual needs,"
these are the barnacles on the good
ship tatioation; and unless the is
careened And they are scraped Offfi,
llyf theyire likely to Sink her',
gram.has
ral thou--
ave bene-
on with
lls in
lue. They
alities,
nd a sense
ss of
ve followed
t into the
orionces
ti vi ties
them in
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