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PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006.
Pupatello takes test drive at St. Anne's
Official visit
Education Minister Sandra Pupatello came out to St. Anne's Catholic .
Secondary School in Clinton, Friday morning, to unveil the Ministry of
Education's Specialist High Skills Majors Initiative. Clockwise, from left are:
student, Matt Van Oesch, Pupatello (MP Windsor West), student Kyle
DeCourt and Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. (Clinton News Record photo)
By Cheryl Heath
Clinton News-Record
Ontario's Minister of
Education took a test drive
with a student as the instructor
Friday at St. Anne's Catholic
Secondary School in
Clinton.
Education Minister Sandra
Pupatello took the steering
column of the tractor to
highlight a recently Unveiled
provincial government
initiative that will see new
certificate programs offered
through 26 boards of
education, provincewide. That
initiative includes an
agriculture-focused program
at St. Anne's school.
During a nearly hour-long
press conference which drew
local dignitaries, program
partners, business leaders and
school board officials,
Pupatello marked the official
launch of the program, known
as the Specialist High Skills
Majors, alongside two St.
Anne's students planning to
enroll in the courses this fall.
"We need to mold our
agenda to fit the needs of the
student," says Pupatello, who.
was sporting jeans and a jean
jacket as requested - by event
organizers so she could take
the tractor for a spin.
Pupatello says the program
is being offered as part of the
Liberal government's strategy
to ensure 85 per cent of
students have high school with
a diploma since that figure had
dropped to 68 per cent under
the Progressive Conservative
government's stringent
curriculum.
Pupatello says many
community partners, including
the Ontario Youth
Apprenticeship Program
(OHAP), Fanshawe College,
and numerous agriculture
businesses are making the
program possible.
Huron-Bruce MPP Carol
Mitchell says the agriculture-
focused courses are welcome
additions to the curriculum as
youth must be drawn into the
industry to ensure there are
"enough people to work the
land and produce high quality,
safe food."
"Programs like this are
really the stepping stones to
make change," she says. "We
must maintain a very strong
agricultural base and give it to
the tools it needs to move
forward."
Mitchell also thanked
business leaders and the
community for rallying behind
the initiative.
St. Anne's student Matt Van
Osch, who was introduced by
Pupatello as a youth with
plans to become a fourth-
generation farmer, lauds the
program.
"I know it's exactly what I
was looking for," he says,
noting he is "hopeful" that he
will one day be able to operate
his family's 200-acre dairy
farm — though he notes
changes in the industry mean
that is "becoming harder to
do."
"I really appreciate the
board bringing it to Huron
County and St. Anne's," he
adds.
St. Anne's student Kyle
DeCourt, who also plans a
career in the ag business, says
the new courses are a welcome
addition to the curriculum, and
will help build a foundation
for his future career.
Larry Langan, director of
education for the Huron-Perth
Catholic District school board,
thanked both the minister and
the youth. "I'm so proud of
our students," he says.
The Huron Perth Catholic
District school board is
piloting a primary industry
major that is focused on the
agriculture sector with an
emphasis on equipment. The
ministry notes the program is
packaged with co-op
placements to lead students to
agricultural careers,
apprenticeships or college tech
programs.
This major is being
supported by partnerships with
Stratford Home Builders,
Huron Tractor, Stratford Farm
Equipment, Hyde Brothers
Equipment, Great Lakes New
Holland, Fawcett Tractor and
Fanshawe College: Other
majors for pilot projects
include tourism and
hospitality, construction,
primary industries,
manufacturing and arts and
culture.
Letter to the editor
THE EDITOR,
As a sister to Patty Van der
Meer and an aunt to Ian I feel
I should respond to,the article
and to the community of
Brussels as a whole. I was in
Brussels this past weekend to
visit and I read the article
about Patty and Ian. After
asking Patty why she wanted
such an article written she
said that some members of
the community have made
comments that her calling the
fire department was wasting
their time and was not
necessary.
I am appalled and
infuriated that Patty should
have to inform the
community of Brussels as to
what is happening to her son
that causes the fire
department to come to her
house three or four times a
week. People that have made
these. comments clearly do
not know the situation and
have made no attempt to find
out the reason as to why they
are being called.
I always thought that one of
the benefits to a small
community was the support
one could receive when they
are in need. Instead of
making such comments and
participating in the gossip
that surrounds Ian and his
family why not support them
and their current struggle?
Kudos to the fire
department and the. members
of the community who have
supported Patty and her
family at this time, I know it
is truly appreciated.
Katie Harrison