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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-03-11, Page 3Pack board meeting Clinton parents fight A huge delegation from the Clinton area packed the Huron County Board of Education chambers Mon- day afternoon to plead for the retention of machine shop courses at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton. Although their presenta- tion was well organized, complete and at times elo- quent. it appeared the board felt it had ample cause to discontinue the course at CHSS. The Year 3 machine shop course will not be offered at CHSS in the fall of 1981. Provision was made, however. to offer the machine shop course at the Grade 12 level for the year 1981-82 either through the regular day school program or the night school program at CHSS. Insufficient enrollment in the total technical program at CHSS was cited as the main reason for curtailing the course. Twelve students are presently enrolled in the Year 3 machine shop program: 14 in the Year 4 program for a total of 26 credits. Machine shop programs are offered at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham and at South Huron District High School in Exeter. Wingham has a total of 32 students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12 for a total of 64 credits. and Exeter has' 30 students in Years 3 and 4 for a total of 60 credits. CHSS Principal Herb Murphy explained that at Clinton. students in Grades 11 and 12 who want technical training indicate their first choices but may not necessarily get them. He said the students are spread over the shops in fair- ly equal numbers. with some students being placed in their second choice courses. In this manner, Murphy said. all shops run at fairly evendistributionof students. The current problem at CHSS, claimed Murphy, is that'there are too many technical courses and too few students. Some course must be continued to con- tain costs at a reasonable level. The current machine shop teacher is low on the seniori- ty ladder. coming into the school only last September. In other schools, Murphy 't on. students make their choices for technical courses and get them. In this way, some courses eventually die out for lack of students. The CHSS principal said he and his staff are con- sidering changes to the current system. The main argument of the delegation for the retention of the machine shop course was the growing need for qualified machinists in in- dustries around the county. Spokesmen from Clinton's Industrial Promotion Com- mittee said the town is work- ing hard to establish an in- dustrial park in Clinton. They felt it would be detrimental to the future of an industrial park if the machine shop course at the high school were cut. Several graduates from the CHSS machine shop courses were on hand to tell their personal experiences in the business world. One graduate. Dean Reid of Clinton. said he is a graduate and so are five of his employees. Another graduate, an employee of Excello Wildex in Clinton. said his company employs three graduates direct from CHSS One young man who is a third year chemical engineering student at Mc- Master University in Hamilton. said his knowledge gained from the machine shop courses at CHSS has been a tremendous asset to him. "You are defeating your purpose to provide full educatioin for students in this area if you cut the machine shop couse at CHSS." said this graduate. Mrs. Moira Couper of Bayfield presented a well researched brief which detailed the history of the Clinton school which originally was to provide technical training for students from all over Huron County. She asked why the board had deviated from this original intention. Director of Education John Cochrane answered by saying the technical aspects at Clinton were in place a full five years before the county board came into ex- istence in 1969. He said the parents of students throughout Huron County wanting technical training were not satisfied with the long distances some young people had to travel to Clinton. They wanted technical opportunities in NAMESAKES CHAT — One of the many area people to get a chance to talk to Premier William Davis when he was in Ex- eter Wednesday night was another Davis, Ernie from Hensall. T -A photo Students quiz Continued from front page Liberals would make sure that everyone in Ontario would have access to it, even if it meant clinics. He also stated that there would be no legislation to keep doctors in OHIP. but that more doctors would be graduated so that people would have a choice. Pemberton said that she believes that the doctors should stay in OHIP. The next question asked was why regional govern- ment received more money for such things, as police, than municipal government. The PC candidate said that it may be different for com- munities like Exeter because there will be different OPI' support than in a regional system. Also he said that another reason that Exeter received less money was there is no major crime problem. The Liberal candidates said that regional budgets have gone up 169 percent compared to municipal governments' figure of 59 percent. He said that regional government receiv- ed an unconditional 9.6 per- cent increase in their law en- forcement budget compared to E:‘eter's 3.7 percent and Goderich's increase of 4 per- cent. The NDP candidate said that there should be tax reforms regardless of what form of government. On the question of standar- dized grade I3 exams, Riddell said that grade 13• will eventually be phased out under his government. but that there had to be some means of testing how well the students are doing until that time. Britnell said that the PCs were committed to keeping grade 13. He said it helps mature some or most students and that grade 13 was supposed to be a low cost first year of university. He also said that students in Ontario who take grade 13 have an easier time in un- iversity than those who come out of grade 12 from other provinces. Pemberton said that the NDP would keep grade 13 because she felt that students were much more mature after they came out. She said that it was also an important time. where a young person is learning how to live. The next question was how to solve the problem of students taking easy courses just so they can make it through. Britnell said that the stu- dent should be mature enough to pick academic courses. Riddell said that the system should come back to basics. not the rod -wielding school master, but courses that have some academic value. their own local schools. All high schools in the county with the exception of Seaforth have some technical opportunities for students. Exeter and Clinton each have eight shops, Wingham has nine shops and Goderich has four shops. Cochrane agreed that if the original concept of one technical school for the county had been satisfactory to ratepayers. it would have been the most economical way to handle it. It was pointed out to the Clinton delegation that Clin- ton students determined to take machine shop in Year 3 and 4 would travel to South Huron or F.E. Madill for the courses. Mrs. Couper suggested that students from the outer parts of the county be brought to the centre at Clin- ton for machine shop. She was reminded it was false economy to bus 32 students from two schools, rather than 26 students from one school. Board members also pointed out that if that deci- sion was reached, the next meeting would have delegations from Wingham and Exeter to hear." "We're having rough times at the moment," agreed Mrs. Couper. "but we've instilled in our children that education will get them a job. Canada is in need of skilled workers. It seems now is the time to ex- pand techological studies, not reduce them." "If this course is so necessary to the Clinton students. why haven't there been more parents en- couragingtheirkidsto go into it?" asked Trustee M. Mulvey. "The machine shop equip- ment at CHSS is going unus- ed because there are not enough kids signing up," reasoned Trustee Dorothy Wallace. She suggested that Conestoga College start a machine shop course in co- operation with CHSS. Trustee R.J. Elliott said that the education thrust of the Ontario Ministry of Education is changing. He noted that the community college now sits between the high school and the univer- sity. He claimed that in the future. any extra funding for specialized technological training would be going into community college coffers. High schools. he said, would be charge more and more with the responsibility of giving young people the basic skills of mathematics, communication and science to prepare them for post secondary school training at PCs predict Continued from front page other agricultural activities. In addition to the steam pipeline at Douglas Point, Davis talked about es- tablishing a hydrogen - energy research project to speed up the development of a fish -farm project and en- couraging more private in- vestors to develop the 2,000 acre industrial park adja- cent to the nuclear station. Davis indicated his government plans to replace one-third of the produce im- ported by the province with Ontario grown produce. He said this could mean an in- crease in income for Ontario farmers of some $200 million each year. About the Liberal cam- paign. the Premier said, "They are offering only promises without programs and plans without policies." He was also critical of the NDP plans for nationaliza- tion of industry and leader Michael Cassidy for suppor- ting a minimum wage of more than $5 per hour in the province if he is elected. Premier Davis asked the audience. "What would that wage do to small business, the tourist industry and farmers?" In conclusion the Premier asked for positive thinking saying. "If you think you can win, then you can. By 7:30 p.m. on March 19 I hope a great historic traditional area of the province will be restored to the Progressive Conservative fold." CORRECTION Last week's PUC story incorrectly reported a 12 - inch water main was to be replaced on William Street. The pipe being replaced is a 5 -inch copper pipe, and a new 12 -inch main will be installed. The existing service was not the site of several breaks as reported. Also the profit projected in hydro budgets was 2.8 percent for 1980, not 1981. The budget in questionwas a review of 1980 and the actual profit was 4.6 percent. for courses the community college level or elsewhere. It has been discovered, Elliott went on, that a solid comprehension of basic academic skills is vital to the success of people in today's competitive work force. "It's time to get back to the basics." said Elliott. There is no intention at the present to discontinue the shops at the Grade 9 and 10 levels 'It is my personal view," said Chairman Donald McDonald. "that shops give a place for students to make up their minds where they excel and where they will do well when they go on the community colleges for turther education." Time and time again it was shown that Huron Coun- ty taxpayers cannot afford to continue to finance all the courses that have been offered in the past when costs were lower, funds were more easily found and enrollments were higher. "We have to offer the courses that will benefit the most people in today's world," said Trustee John Jewitt. Following the presenta- tion of the delegation for the machine shops. several peo- ple got up to leave the board room, obviously convinced their case had fallen on deaf ears. R.J. Elliott urged them to remain to hear the board's • deliberation in the matter, but some left anyway shak- ing their heads in disappoint- ment. Many people did remain in the, chambers however. At the close of the board's dis- cussion and action concer- ning the reasons for deleting the machine shop course at Clinton and a number of other courses throughout the secondary school system here, there was some evidence that delegates had a better understanding of the dilemma faced by the board. "Each trustee here cares about the students of Huron County and is interested in providing the best education possible given our financial limitations." said H.J. Elliott. "Unfortunately, a few courses will have to go and a few students will be disap- pointed," he said. "We regret that. Times -Advocate, March 11, 1981 Page 3 WINS ACAPULCO TRIP — Donna Robertson of RR 2 Lucan, recently won o trip to Acopulco in a contest sponsored by Pepsi Cola and Shaw's Dairy Stores. From the left are Roy Ferguson and Doug Heywood of Tuckey Beverages, Mrs. Robertson and Shaw's Lucan store manager Rick Thomas T -A photo