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THE BRUSSELS POST,MARCH 8,1978 —15
HP board schools' close
[by Wilma Oke]
There will be some movement
of students for better 'class sizes
but none of the 19 elementary
separate schools in Huron and
Perth counties will be closed due
to declining enrolment:, the H-P
board decided Monday night.
Trustee Ronald Murray.
Dublin, chairman of the declining,
enrolment committee, reported
on the three public meetings held
by the committee.
With a 5.4 per cent dechne in
enrolment beginning in.
September 1977, the committee
was set up to study the problem,
using the report prepared by the.
administrative staff providing
statistics and background
information on the 'schools, also
recommendations.
The three public meetings were
held in Dublin, attended by 150
persons; in St. Columba!)
attended by about 60; and in
Stratford by. over 200, which
pleased committee members.
'The administrative staff report
had 'suggested consolidating
Dublin' and St Columban schools
or Seaforth and St. Columban :by
a redistribution of several classes.
"N) one in Qublin would go for
Jhis,- Mr. Murray said. "The
"only place you could transfer
students from one school to
another without upsetting the
applecart is in Stratford.'
Mr. Murray said the committe
recommended that the alternative
of transferring a number of rural
students frour St. Joseph's School
to St. Ambrose and Immaculate
Conception schools, all in
Stratford, be given further study
by administration and
consideration by the board.
Mr, Murray explained the
Committee received five, briefs.
and one near the end of the
meeting from Michael DeWan,
principal of St. Joseph's school,
was highly praised. He said the
committee did not have time to
study it or try to, improve it.
William. Eckert, Director of
Education said, "it has a better
mix of rural and urban students."
The committee will restudy
this.
Mr. Murray's second
recommendation on 'behalf of his
committee was that a complete
and comprehensive study of the
board's transportation system be
undertaken immediately by'
administration and the
transportation committee and,
that an individual be hired on. a
temporary basis to do research
and prepare recommendations.
Capable
The first part of this
recommendation was approved
by the board but the
transportation committee •
defeated the hiring of someone to
do the research work • and the .
members said they felt capable of
doing the study themselves,
without , calling on the
administration office for
assistance.
Greg Fleming, chairman of the
transportation committee,. and
Michael Connolly, of the
committee, said the school bus
drivers and the school principals
would be able to give theM the
information they would need.
Mr, Murray expressed concern
that they might not finish it, at
least not in the limited time there
was to do the report.
Mr. Murray's third motion on
behalf of his committee that the
number of full time employee
teaching staff be reduced in direct
proportion, to the projected
decline in students between
September of 1977 and
September of 1978, was approved'
by the board.
Joseph Mills, superintendent
of education, explained that with
projected decline in students set a
at 'about five percent, then th
decline in teachers would be the
same. This would be six teachers.
Decline
In the brief the teachers
presented to the committee on
declining enrolments it read,
" wre recognize a five per cent
decline in students and we accept
a five per cent decline in teachers,
normal attrition shoCild take care
of the rest.-
Mr. Murray's fourth motion
was approved by the board with
trustees Michael Connolly and
David ',Teahen . objecting to the
motion which called for a system
staffing formula to be used a s a
planning base by' administration
to allocate the remaining staff for
September of 1978.
The fifth and final motion
called for all budgets in the
category of ordinary expenditure
(which exclude fixed costs) be
decieased as much as possible 'in
proportion to the current decline
in student enrolment.
Mr. Eckert noted that not much \
mention had been made about
maintaining and improving the
quality of programs and services
but said he observed in retrospect
that the recommendations made
by the committee do meet this
objective, of the administrative
staff. He said the committee has
recommended some movement of
students for better class sizes,
and a good staffing formula will
permit extra help to be place
where it is most needed.' There is
not suggestion of reduced
services in the area of special
education, French, music, family
life and religious education, he
said, 'and we are now utilizing
empty rooms for French and
special education, which again is
an improvement.
Mr. Eckert said no
consolidation of schools, no
closing has been recommended
and to the people in the
community this means we are
maintaining quality. He said one
message that seemed to be
expressed at the public meetings
was that parents like the concept
of the neighbourhood community
schools.
Your job should have safe,
healthy working conditions.
Ontario's job is to see
that you get them.
Take a minute now to think about
yourself and your work situation. Your job
satisfaction and good health are
important to you, your employer and the
productivity of Ontario's economy.
Safe and healthy workers are better
workers, and concerned, well-informed
• employers are better employers. That's.
why your Ontario Government has
established the Occupational Health and
Safety Division Within the Ontario
Ministry of Labour. •
The Division comthunicates and works
with employers and employees, alike,
encouraging all concerned to do ,
, 04" -•
agir
everything possible to prevent injury or
illness in the workplace. It does this by:
• conducting regular programs of
inspections and audits to ensure
compliance with the legislation;
• providing advisory, consultative and
technical services on health and safety
matters;
• promoting internal labour-management
responsibility for maintaining a 'safe
and healthy workplace;
• reviewing proposed plans for new'
projects in the pre-development stages
to avoid "building in" potential h4ards.
The new Division is dedicated to the
control and elimination of occupational
health and safety hazards with ongoing
research, educational programs and — if
need be-_: corrective action when
cooperation doesn't work.-
A booklet spelling out in detail the
activities of the Occupational Health and
Safety Division is being distributed to -
employers. If you would like a copy,
contact your nearest Ministry of Labour
office. And work in good health!
Bette Stephenson, M.D.,
Minister of Labour
William DM/S, Prettier
Province of Ontario