The Citizen, 1989-11-15, Page 24THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1989. PAGE 25.
Huron Education Network pleads for partnership
In a brief to Jack Riddell on
November 8 at the Education
Centre in Clinton, the Huron Divi
sion of the Ontario Public Educa
tion Network made a plea for
partnership between the educators
and politicians.
Representatives from the teach
ers’ federations, members of the
school board and the Director of
Education Robert Allan stated in
their brief to Mr. Riddell that they
have noticed the strong statements
made recently by Prime Minister
Mulroney, Premier Peterson, Trea
surer Robert Nixon and Minister of
Education for Ontario Sean Con
way, among others concerning the
importance of education, its short
comings, responsibilities,
strengths and necessity. “We be
lieve it is vitally important that we
work together,” they maintained in
the brief. “We believe that educa
tion is a shared responsibility and
that there is a shared accounta
bility.”
They then went on to explain the
different responsibilities that edu
cation has been required to take on
Impaired
charges laid
Wingham OPP laid several alco
hol related charges over the past
weekend.
According to a police spokesper
son three people, including one
Brussels man were charged with
impaired driving. All three were
reported to have been charged with
over 80 milligrams.
OPP further state that there were
five incidents of liquor seizures.
stating that individual family and
societal needs have placed de
mands on school boards for pro
gram extension in regular schools
and further development of pre
school adult education programs.
They stated that these programs
have been added to the existing
ones in an “ad hoc fashion”.
They also feel that the ability to
establish and adapt goals has been
hindered by policy making that has
resulted in mandated programs
and inadequate resources.
“In too many instances, it seems
to us, educational decisions have
been based on political expediency
rather than development through a
shared partnership,” the brief
says.
Most of the publicly popular
programs like junior kindergarten,
destreaming of grade nine, class
size reduction in grades one and
two, and the provision of day care
in new schools, the representatives
felt should be considered as to the
availability of financial and human
resources. These programs for the
most part do not call for the
elimination of existing programs
and would requite extensive finan
cing, therefore, for additional
classroom space, equipment and
program resources, teachers and
paraprofessionals and training.
“Raising expectations for new
programs without providing new
resources is treating the Board side
of the partnership with disdain,”
the brief explains. “The persons
involved in Huron Public Education
are left to cope with criticism if
programs are not available or to
respond to local anger about rapid
ly rising educational mill rates.”
There was mention made about
the debate regarding Superannua
tion with Ontario’s teachers. The
representatives would however,
only comment on one specific point
as a group, stating that they feel
the payments that are to be
submitted by any employee who
holds a Teacher’s Certificate are
arbitrary, unfair and illogical. They
see this as a large problem of
provincial magnitude and offered
to provide Mr. Riddell with more
background data upon request.
Concerning the proposed Grade
nine de-streaming that the govern
ment intends to have completed by
September of 1992, the Huron
Education representatives felt they
should have been consulted on the
feasibility of such a plan. “The
system is still reeling from all the
politically inspired changes over
the past three decades,” the brief
states. “Schools get little chance to
implement; they are kept too busy
carrying out all the adminsitrivia
occasioned by constant change
from above.”
The brief continues, “The fact is
that students do come to Grade
nine with definite ability levels.
Denying this denies reality.” The
Trustees believe that eliminating
basic, general and advanced cours
es in Grade nine risks damaging a
student’s self-esteem and self
worth. Ultimately they fear de
streaming will bore bright students
and frustrate those less able.
“The Ontario education system
has been streamed one way or
another much of its history. The
intent of streaming was never to
disadvantage students or to create
problems for certain socio-econom
ic groups, but in fact, quite the
reverse. Meeting the needs of
individual students in homogene
ous groups to better use financial
and human resources and time for
that purpose was and is the
objective of streaming,” represen
tatives explained. “Given the di
verse nature of our students and
our society, flexibility must be the
key to any program delivery sy
stem.”
Other issues mentioned were
financial support for about 40 home
schooled children which the county
is presently responsible for lack of
funding for adequate school build
ings, teacher shortages and recruit
ment.
In conclusion the representatives
from the county’s education system
were adamant in their opinion that
a new partnership must evolve
between the provincial government
Christmas Quality,
Selection. Service
IC ' /y
and themselves. They stressed the
locally developing crisis and have
pointed out the visible solutions.
“We do want to communicate to
you a certain amount of frustration
and disappointment with our past
presentations to you,” they said in
closing. “At best they seem to be
lightly dismissed and at worst they
were hardly acknowledged.”
In a 35 minute response to the
brief Mr. Riddell sympathized with
the Board and teachers but explain
ed sincerely that the government is
under pressure for many ministries
including health care, environment
and agriculture. He' spoke on the
issue of increased government
grants of fairly substantial amounts
given to them but agreed that as
the brief demonstrated education
was out-stripping funding. How
ever, there is only so much money
they can provide, he reminded.
Mr. Riddell assured the trustees
that he would take the brief back
and try and get some more specific
answers for them.
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