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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1981-05-27, Page 4--La now Sentinel, weiinediday, 27, 1981 By Dave Sykea The Implementation of - Bill 82. into the •.... education system will not only : have a Profound effect " on a child's right ht to p g education but will guarantee tailored and structured courses to suit individual require ments. In essence, llil182is a mini education act, that was passed in the Ontario Legislature .in. December 1980. Reduced to simple :terms, Bill 82 is an act that ensures that every exceptional pupil in, he province will receive an education suited to their needs. Previously, the implementation of special education *grains and services was left . to thef'" discretion' of individual: boards of education. ° Many. board,° including Huron; provided some measure of special education in the curriculum butihe new bill removes the option and ' mandates that ° all boards provide for the special education needs of every child. • That8uaranteed right to publicly support- ed u Ported education means that every board ,will. have to initiate programs to meet the diverse and specific needs of students. It will require a major commitment on the part of boards, educatorsand the government, which has allocated S75 million for the :.conversion.: The specific breakdown of the funding scheme has not been laid out by the Ministry but they, are definite in their commitments to special education. Superintendent Don Ken - well said each board must have a plan in place by 1982 and it must be in full operation by September 1985. ' So in 1985' every exceptional child will have access to special education programs and services within the county system. The system is a rather complex one in defining an exceptional child . and subsequently making a placement in a specialized program. • • • The exceptional pupil covers a broad range on the spectrum and includesnot only intellectually gifted children but others with behavioral, communicational, intellectual or physical exceptionalitie that.: require place- ment in a special program. 4 A special education program is based on continuous evaluation of a student and will be tailored. to .meet the needs of the pupil. exceptional u il. Student services co-ordin- ator ator for the Huron Board of Education, Sheila Clarks explained that the process of establishing special sP� ial roSmms for students will will involve parents and educators. "Every child will receive an education suited to his or her abilities and needs. This was formerly a decision of the board but now we will require parental permission to assess a child and parental consent on the,. placement of the child," she said. "It will mean massive changes for , the board of education and the ministry." Parents will be involved in the procedure from the start have plenty of appeal options. available. Parents will be involved in early idenficication, assessment and placement procedures. They also have the right.. to request and participate in the review of the child's assessment and the right to appeal the placement of the pupil. In order to effect the program the board of education will be establishing committees and hiring additional staff over the nest three years to meet the deadlines of Bill @82. By. September of this year the board will establish a Special. Education Advisory Committee consisting of three board mem- bers, representatives of local associations and a •separate school representative. The Huron Board will also establish ° .a Special Education Indentification, Place- ment and Review Committee consisting of at • • c.!to will keep present call system Doctors at Wingham'and District Hospital have decided they will not switch. to " a universal "call system because the , present call system is. not "adversely ' affecting patients. The• nature of the call system was brought to the ° attention of the joint conference Committee of the hospital board for' consider- ation, because the onsideration,.because.the lack of a group call system is possibly a deterrent in attracting: doctors to the hospital. With the call system as it is, doctors work more evenings and weekends than they would if the hospital had a group call system. Presently the doctors working together take turns and there is always more than one • doctor on call at the hospital. If a group call system were initiated, one doctor would be on call at the hospital and all patients requiring emergency treatment would be referred to -that doctor. Dr. Al Williams pointed out that perhaps patient care is affected by the present call systein if it is deterring doctors from, to the hospital. "The care of patients is affected if we can't get a. physician to locate here because the call system is a - factor dissuading physicians," observed Williams. `Perhaps we may . have to exert some discipline on the medical staff," he suggest- , ed. The hospital's • executive director, Norman Hayes. said there is no legal way to force all ph►sicians to refer their patients to another physician. The lack of a group call system for all physicians may act as a deterrent but Dr. Wong has located here, said Hayes„ and Doctors Wong, Ping and Gear are alternat- ing on call. If another doctor conies to Wingham hospital there 4111 be another doctor to alternate with that group, noted Hayes. r. Don Jolly of Lucknow pointed out that Dr, Williams' concern . is for Wingham patients. He said the present call system is not unusual but is. common, A universal call system for people in Lucknow would, not benefit them, said Jolly, perhaps it may adversely affect their health care. The hospital board approved the recom- R • least three members, including a principal or a supervisory officer. `The Huron Board ` is considering such a committee for each school in the system with: the :principal ' acting as chairman. Other members may include the parent, the teacher of the child, or representation ofthe administration. A third committee, A Hard to Serve. Committee, will be established at the discre- tion of the board to determine if a pupil is unable to profit from instruction due to a mental handicaPp , or one or ;more. additional handicaps. The committee would be activat- ed at the request of the parent or principal. The committee would determine: whether the pupil could benefit from instruction or the board could.: assist' theparents with proper placement of the child. There would. be no cost to the parents for placement of a hard to serve pupil. The entire system begins: with the detection of a child demonstrating a learning exceptionality: With permission of the par- ents, the child is referred to Student Services. for diagnosis and testing will be administ- ered. The test results and placement recom- mendations will be discussed by the school's Identification, Placement and: Review Com- mittee and . a personal program will be recommended for the pupil. With permis- sion of the parent, the pupil willreceive a special education program. That program could result in regular classroom placement, classroom placement " plus supplementary programs,. placement in : special needs learning class either part-time . or .full-time, placement in a school for the trainable mentally retarded or referral to an outside agency. If a parent disagrees with the placement •of a child, _they: are to serve written notice of appeal, to the board. Several options of appeal , are open to parents. The board will have a Special Education Appeal Board consisting of members who hadno prior involvement in. the matter. The appeal board will make its reports � l inwrltin g to the parent. if the parents is dissatisfied With the decision of the Special :Education Appeal Board, they; may appeal to the Special Education Tribunal, a body which ° is, detached from local 'boards. If a parent is still disatisfied, appeal ` can be made to a Special "Education Regional Tribunal, made up of three members ..appointed. by the Minister of Education. Again, the local` school board has no responsibility toward the organization or membership of the regional tribunal. The process is complex but .reduced to simple terms it will Mean that each .child will receive an education according to , their needs, and parents will be involved from initial' testing to placement of the pupil~ in a specialized program If the parent feels the program is inadequate, appeals and re-eval- uation may take place. For the board, implementation of the bill will require the establishment of committees and the hiring of additional staff. Resource teachers will be needed for both secondary and elementary . schools to provide for Consultation, identification, placement and liason. Primary; and senior special learning needs class teachers will be required for supple'= mentary assistance and an enrichment consultant will provide program develop- ment and teacher consultation. One psychologist will be hired for intellectual assessment for trainable retard- ed pupilsand behavioural counselling. The board has already moved to imple- ment the bill with the hiring of a resource. teacher and slowly over the next three years, a comprehensive special -education program will unfold in the county school system. • • • • mandation from the joint conference com- mittee that the present call system will continue as ,there is no workable alternative. Recreation'. committee outline summer program 1 The Lucknow Recreation Committee is lining .up their summer season which will include swimming instruction at the Luck- now Swimming Pool and organization of ball teams for boys and girls. Swimming instructors for this year will be , Norma Maclntyre, Kathy Treleaven, Jackie Dalton and Patricia Barger. Registration is this Saturday at the town hall from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. and ,next Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.. A playground program will be offered for youngsters while they are , attending swim. ming lessons and Lynn Nicolson and Paye" Forster will be supervising, Boys and " girls. interested in playing baseball this summer are asked to meet at the ball park,rsaturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. to organize this year's teams. 1977 ' PLYMOUTH VOLARE 1977 PINTO, 4 cylinder 1977 MAVERICK 1976 LTD LANDAU, 4 door 1976 MUSTANG 7PULWS MAT fitY MEIN MY. Appoint representative Mr. ' John Heard has been appointed Assistant Agricultural Representative for Huron Counter. John's emphasis will be on soils and crops, with some future work on swine. John graduated April 1981 from Univer- sity of Guelph with an honours degree in Crop Science. Heis from a cash\ crop farm in Middlesex County. John's father, R. F. ,Heard, is also Area Co-ordinator and Farm Management Specialist in Middlesex and area. , John's interests include sports, fishing and farming, He is looking forward to wonting with the farmers of Huron County. 1979 F150 RANGER _ with topper 1978 F150 6 CYLINDER, standard. 1978 F150 FORD . 1978 F100 FORD - 1971 FORD 1 ton pickup, 6 cylinder 1968 CHEV 'stake truck