HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-10-01, Page 6Page 6 — Ltaeknow Sentiatet, Wednesday, October 1,11997'
Teachers could take Parent, applaud government
job action by.. Friday action on proposed education bill
by Tracey Doerr
Aiea teachers could
take job action before
Friday if the government
doesn't back down from
• Bill 160, say teacherfed-
eration representatives.
The'bill, 'which would
reduce secondary school
teachers' preparation_ time,
reduce class, size, allow
non -teacher workers into.
the classroom and change
some of the, items in their
contract is still receiving
debate in the provincial
Iegisiature. Teachers were- .
concerned . the second
reading would take. place
Monday allowing the bill
to become law as early as
Friday.
Jenji Hanko, political
action officer'foi• district
44 of the. -Ontario
Secondary • School.
Teachers' Federation,. said
a membership Meeting
will be held Tuesday night
(after press time) to talk
about the potential
changes and. "what action
weare going to take."
• Bob Richards, president,
of the Ontario English
Catholic iTe•ach'ers'.
Association, said teachers
are upset the government„
is planning to cut an, addi-.
:,tto:nal $1 ..:b:iliion ,from
ToOntario s education sys-
tem.
r`•`What :people. don't
ealize "'i's. that it's the"
underlining of ;the
• destruction of the 'whole of.
education," said Richards,
The bill ;is;._not about
improving education, .said`
`Barry- Wolfe,, President of
the Ontario `Public School
Teachers' Federation, "it's
•
•
•
•
•
about money."
"Bill 160 is about
power. If the bill is not
amended, then teachers
and others will be forced
to strike to save public
education,' said Wore.
Richards said teachers
have given upraises in the
past in exchange for
preparation time. ,They
have also fought for small,
er class .sizes. He's heard
the government is propos-
ing a 25 pupil, beard -wide
average which• would be
an increase for.the .Grey -
Bruce board.
"The board wide •aver-
age now, is around 17.5,
we're looking at °an
increase in size."
MPP Barb. Fisher said
there has bee. n no talk of
numbers on. this issue yet.
"Class numbers are not
out there at all. That's
nology and chemistry.
The bill would elimi-
nate negotiations between
teachers and the board and
require teachers to answer
to the government, Hanko
said.
Fisher said that's not
true.
"There are a few things
we want province -wide
policy on. There are many
things still within the con -
'tract that will be negotiat•
-
ed as was always the
case," she said, •
Hankd said proposing a
'bill without teacher input
is wrong:
"If you have happy
teachers who are involved'
in the 'process; you will
,have better teachers," she
said. *
Teachers are•di scour-
aged'and angry• with the
•government, say
•something that will have.
to be• determined,",'she
said. "People are jumping
the gun on a lot of 'things.
They say the issues are 3/4,
cast in stone and such is
not the case:'' '
She said the govern-..
meant is trying to put out
the .bill as itstands and see,,
whatpeople think of, it..
"My desire,:is to go to a
public. hearing," 'she said '
Hanko said she is con
cerned . .this - bil,l.,'wil.l•..
• change the definition of
what a teacher is,'
"It will allow unqualified.
people, into the class-
room," she said.
Under: the bill, those with-.
out a teachers' certificate
will be able, to -teach in '•
.guidance, library, inusic,
drama, arty computer,' tech-
the repre-
sentatives, and are looking
at ways to counteract the
For the ,catholic school
teachers, there is a 17 -step
program that includes lob-
bying MVPs, a media -and
'writing campaign:. and
talking to parents.
"The teachers are get-
ting angry about what's
happening and withthe
government for putting. up
the, front that! teachers are
just trying to: protect their
salaries and that's pot it,,
they're trying to' protect
the students,":; said'
Richards.
If a walk out occurs, it
will be: province -wide.
Richards•`said teachers will
not be walking out in.
protest of `their •Own Cow -
tracts,
tracts, but, rather,,. in protest
of ,the government bill.
Dear editor:
A tremendous contro-
versy is surrounding the
public school educational
• system. We hear it onthe
radio and read it in the
paper everyday. We also
hear how terrible and dev-
astating the proposed.
changes are in the local
school itself.
One of our sons carne
,home yesterday.'. with
•"facts" from his•teacher.
Apparently classroom
time is being used to dis-
seminate the teachers
opinion of the proposed
changes. In my opinion,
these are incorrect and we
can hardly afford that
waste of classroom time.
I have not looked at all
the fancy studies that have
been reported upon. but I
know from the experi-
ences of our children that
our schools need rnajor •
improvement.
In my opinion • the pre-
vious provincial govern-
ment helped put our chil-
dren even further behind
in part due to their collu-
sion with the big unions.
This government is trying
to recover the lost, ground
and put our kids back at
thehead of the Canadian
class,
I applaud them for it:
Ed McGugan.
One teacher's voice
Deareditor: ' T
`I believe in providing, adequate time in
the work day for teachers to do their job
effectively.
I believe in the many years of training,
courses and experience I have as impor-
tant to a teacher's role in education.
Most important of all, I believe in the
educational freedom: enabled by the pro-
tection of teachers' contracts. Like judges
in the courts and university professors, i1
teachers are without that protection edu-
cation is vulnerable to control by the
beliefs and political philosophies of
whatever government is in power. a very.
.dangerous concept indeed.
Shelia Clarke,
Library Resource/Teacher,
Brookside Public School
Farmer. drovers back .for fair
Former Purple trovers
Rosalyn Sutherland of
Newmarket, Peter Leeson,
Barbara Taylor, and
Corinne Of Elmira, Kerry
and Kevin Harrigan and
family of Palmerston; and
Corinne and John Louther
and family of Walkerton
were seen at the fair.
Our community was
shocked and saddened at
the deaths of Rev. Vincla
Wilkie, Ivan Cook .and of
Bill McCreath: Weextend
our sympathy to ;these
families.
. Get well Wishes are
sent -to Alma Gill•ies.,. a
patient in Kincardine hos
pital.
Carl Strathdie from
BI
STARS
An instinctive act of bravery and courage;,.
f acne &fly -are stars..._.: ..
Running• down a:muddy bank ,' Jamie and Billy
saved a.six year old; boy from a fast. flowing'
creek Last year they were recognized. as
OntarioJunior Citizens and'honoured byhe
Ontario Community Newspapers Association
and the Lt. Governor of Ontario',"
We•know" there are stars in our community t• oo,
If you know a young person, aged 6, to 18, who
has performed an- act of heroism, g special person
who is contributing while living with ...
limitation, or a youth Who.ii involved in
w,orthwhile'community service, help •us make
them stars, in Toronto next spring.
ti
Nominations will be accepted until
October 31,1997.' Contact this newspaper
or the OCNA at 905-639-8720, Loc. 230..
JUNIOR
JUNIOR CITIZEN
-1 'croft
AWARDS
bntario
conlmunity
nowspassoc
Mae. Osborne, of Hanover,
Stewart. Winnie and
Douglas MacDonald of
esi London Joan Black and
�•.' f 'G Goderich.
Radisson, Saskatchewan,
John and Barb Gamble,
Allan and Alice Gamble
and Wilfr.ed. and Diane
Gamble had supper .with
Marion Gamble on
Wednesday, night,'
Edna Stanley attended
the Stanley gathering; at.
the. home • of Gord and
.Carol `Shantz.on Saturday.
evening.
Larry and : Donna.
Traher of London spent.
the weekend with Edna.
° On Sunday • Edna visit
ed Bob' and Helen Farrell
of Sarnia at_the Antree.
Trailer Camp., •
Irene and Elmo
Colwell,, of North
Brattleford,. Saskatchewan,
visited with his brother
Frank Colwell of
Kincardine. They spent
some time with. his:.
Ann e' -M os h
and Mary Anne.Kukoly,
One gathering included
some, of the Colwell con '.
nection Jean MacDonald,
.Marion Cliffe, Lynn.
Geddes . ,and Currie:
Colwell,. Gladys Arnold
enjoyed' renewing their
friendships..' :. .
The annual after :fair.
.
gathering 'at the McCosh's
.included' the Clifford fami-.
ly,'the John. Farrell family
of Wingham, Janet and
Jud Maillette of Waterloo,
Jli.ne and Earl ' Elliott,
Isabel Brook, Bernice and
Bill Burt,' .
Everyone wished Anne
a happy 87th birthday.
On Sunday : Gladys
Arnold, :Mary Black,
Isabel Brook, . Kay Collins
and. Marjorie Thompson
gathered to help Anne cel-
ebrate. ,
Visitors with Isabel
Brook were Wray and
•`1
Helen Graft of � o erich.
Dorothy and Henry
Wardell, called On Gladys
Arnold on Thursday.
Gabrielle • Fi,nnie
enjoyed:. a ,15' day, trip' ':with .
her aunt to;, Portugal.,
France and England and
will be home on Tuesday.
Irene and Francis Boyle
are, spending ;a few days
with Kevin and Tracey
Boyle , and family. at •
Keswick:
• Mandy • Rhody' : of,
London; spent the week
end with. Wayne..and Janet. '
• 'Jim and Fran r Farrell
:went to Mississauga :last.'
weekend to attend' the
wedding OfBrenda.Grice
and Douglas Anderson.
who live i.n Nanaiirto; B.C.;
On Sunday . -the. Farrells
went to Gerry ,aneK•ay
Logtenberg s .to ,celebrate
.the September birthdays.
appy birthday to Glen •
Farrell, Jamie Farrell -and,
' Elizabeth: Simpson.:'
Gary Moulton visited'
;with the Farrells during '
the week.
• Karen Leonard . and
Marsha Farrell were at.,
Jim's° for supper Saturday
night.
,Tim•and LesleeBlatt,
and ' Jonah of
Shub'enacadie, Nova
Scotiaare visiting -friends
. around the area.
Helen Smith of London
'spent the weekend with
Marjorie Thornpson.
Wray a.nd. Linda
Thompson of Mississauga;
Joan MacDonald of South
Porcupine, and Nell . and
,Richard Murphy of
' Mississauga , visited
Harvey .and Wilda.
We extend congratula-
tions to loan' who. is a
recent graduate. of
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