Times-Advocate, 1987-09-02, Page 11Times -Advocate, September 2, 1987
Page 11
Elodion candldat•s reveal diversified ideas on oducation
Education, the topic for discussion
at the all -candidates meeting for Mid-
: dlesex held at Medway High school
last Wednesday, revealed a diversi-
ty of opinions among the five can-
didates running in the riding.
The Ontario Public Education Net-
work, OPEN, sponsored the meeting
to spotlight public education and to
draw to the public's attention the con-
cerns of their organization.
The candidates were given oppor-
tunities to introduce themselves to the
audience of 130 and to respond to
questions posed by OPEN and by the
audience.
Liberal candidate Doug Reycraft
suggested that "money alone doesn't
guarantee us an educational system
that prepares our children for ttte
challenges of the future". He explain-
ed that the goals of the Liberal party
to reduce class sizes in grades one and
two to a maximum of 20 students and
Seniors ready
for September 3
Having been elected as secretary of
the Lucan Senior Citizens and Busy
Buddies; Voyle Jordan would like to
remind all members of our first
meeting after the summer break.
This meeting is to be held at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 3, 1987 at the
Boy Scouts Hall.
Jordan reports we are looking for-
ward to a good attendance and a
resumption of our meetings.
News from
Revival Centre
Rev. Gary Schlegel conducted the
Sunday morning service. Rev.
Schlegel ministered from Acts
23:42-47. This is a good description of
the New Testament church, a story of
how the apostles started carrying out
what Jesus began to do and teach. By
the Holy Spirit, the apostles continued
Jesus' work and His command to be
witnesses of Him. This commission is
to be continued in the church by God's
people.
Rev. Gary Schlegel led the service
Sunday evening. The film, My
Brother's Keeper was shown. It show-
ed a group of young children shoplif-
ting, then being apprehended. One,
Miguel got away. He met a man who
later introduced him to a leader of
crime.
Meantime, his brother Hector had
just been released from prision. Hec-
tor thanked Miguel for caring for his
pigeons Wile he was Sway: Miguel
was surprised that Hector was angry
at his stealing. When Hector explain-
ed to Miguel how a man told him in
prison how Jesus bridged the gap bet-
ween God and man by dying on the
cross, Miguel just listened.
!lector helped Miguel escape, then
ran decoying the police after him. The
police caught him as he got to the
street, where he was arrested in
Miguel's place. When Miguel visited
Hector in prison, Hector continued to
witness to him and their mother.
Next day Miguel released all the
pigeons, telling their mother they
should be free. Then he told his
mother he now knew they could be
free through -accepting Jesus. John
8:36 says "If the Son sets you free. you
shall be free indeed.
Upcoming events.
. September 6 - Kathy and Andrew
Eastmond will be ministering in both
services.
September 13 - Dr. G.H. Nunn, con-
ference superintendent. will be
ministering.
September 20 - Chris Lynn Joy
Mason, infant daughter of Rev. and
Mrs. Roger Mason will be dedicated
by Dr. G.H. Nunn.
Three mishaps
in OPP area
Three accidents involving injuries
were reported by the Lucan detach-
ment of the OPP this week.
Ann Barfoot received minor in-
juries as a passenger in a vehicle
driven by Aubrey Barfoot August 23
when it collided with a car spinning
into the intersection of Highway 7 and
Middlesex road 23. The second car
was driven by Mary McLean. Total
damages were assessed at $800
On August 26, Norman Nadeau was
waiting to turn left from county road
23 when a car driven by Trevor Ready
of Granton struck the rear of
Nadeau's vehicle. Nadeau suffered
minor injuries: Damages were set at
$7,800.
John Murray of Denfield received
to purchase more computers would
enhance the "relevance and ex-
cellence of our seho ds'.
Renie Long, the PC candidate, in-
formed the audience of her status as
a mother and gran/mother. "As a
CANDIDATES — All candidates were present for the education
discussion at Medway High School. From left: Bill Giesen FCP, Marc
Emery, Freedom Party and Renie Long PC.
ON THE SPOT - NDP candidate Michael Wyatt (left) smiles as Liberal
candidate Doug Reycraft is asked a question by his brother.
Middlesex schools ready
for over 10,000 students
As the last golden days of summer
spin to an end, students and teachers
find themselves turning their
thoughts more and more often back
to school. The count down begins!
This year the first day of school
falls on Tuesday, September 8th. That
means parents and students have on-
ly a few short days left to buy new lun-
chboxes, clothes and school supplies
for the big day. Teachers must also
quicken their pace to be ready for
classes.
The.first clay of school brings with
it changes and new experiences for
students and teachers: But in Mid-
dlesex County public schools neither
group will notice significant changes
in one important area of education -
enrolment.
George Bullas, Administrative
Assistant for Middlesex County Board
of Education. projects this years
total enrolment at 10,493 students.
While 'he expects the numbers of
elementary pupils to remain at 6,756,
the same as last year, there will like-
ly be a slight decrease of 156 students
at the secondary level, which brings„
the high school total down to 3,737.
Bullas attributes this lower figure
to the fact that sorhe high school
students will continue to attend
separate schools. This decrease,
however, is expected to level off next
school yea( he adds.
Bullas also predicts a small in-
crease to the teaching staff. The 34
new teachers who have been hired to
date bring the teaching staff up to
753.5 compared to last year's total of
743.5. More teachers were needed to
replace the 24 staff who recently
retired and to meet the requirements
of smaller classes in the elementary
schools. The average class sizE this
year at the elementary level has been
set at 28 students per class compared
to last year's 28.5, he explains.
Some teachers and students can
also expect to find course or equip-
ment changes in their classrooms
either in September or later in the
year. says' Tom Williamson,
Superintendent of Academic Affairs
for the Board. •
Some new developments include
the following: a new mandatory
course on AIDS Prevention for
Grades 7.8 and 9 t taught by Sue Mar --
minor injuries when his car myent out
of control, left Highway 4, and rolled
over in the ditch on August 28.
Damage to his vehicle was estimated
al $1,500.
4 �
TAKING AIM Leland Desjardine of Grand Bend and Elgin Kipfer
from Dashwood took part in the horseshoe pitching competition at
Saturday's Middlesex Plowing
Klatch , T -A photo
tin, health specialist with the Board):
$25,000 worth of new computer soft-
ware for existing computers in
elementary schools; an expansion of
the Cooperative Education program;
revisions and updating to Technical
Studies and facilities;,pnd a French
Immersion Feasibility Study which
will be conducted to determine if
French Immersion should be offered
and at what grade level in one or
more county schools in 1988.
Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. for all
elementary schools, except Centen-
nial and Oxbow schools which start at
9:00 a.m.- Secondary school classes
start at the same time as last year.
Students attending the Community
Living program at Medway High
School start at 10:00 a.m. on the first
day and regular time thereafter.
Parents who haven't yet registered
their children for school can do so
before September 8 by contacting
their local school or the Board's Ad-
ministrative Office in Hyde Park.
Principals will be at their schools the
week before school opens. Registra-
tion applies only to the children enter-
ing Kindergarten for the first time.
For bus arrival and departure
times refer to ads placed in local
newspapers or phone your local
school if you are not certain
parent I believe we should strive for
a quality education," adding that she
thought parents should take an in-
creased interest in their children's
schools.
NDP candidate Michael Wyatt
criticized the Liberal government's
delays in reforming property taxes,
and said that his party would like to
-see the education portion of property
taxes phased out within five years.
The NDP is in favor of reduced class
sizes and more French immersion.
Marc Emery, the Freedom Party
candidate, does not believe that the
present education system is ade-
quate. Ile envisions an elimination of
'the single fxibliceducation system in
favor of a multitude of school systems
all competing with each other for the
tax payers' dollars.
• "We need to put the decision-
making powers in !he hands of
parents and teachers and not in the
hands of politicians or bureaucrats,"
he said, suggesting that his party's vi-
sion of education would offer "a world
of diversity" from which the parent
could choose:
Bill Giesen, representing the Fami-
ly Coalition Party, suggested that,
teachers are to be considered as only
theassistants of parents in the pro-
cess of their children's .educations,
and that school boards comprised of
parents should have the right to select
the teachers of their choice: "It would
be up to the school board, not the
teachers' union, to choose the-
teachers."
heteachers."
Giesen later explained that unac-
Visual sermon
at United Church
The congregation at Lucan United
Church was treated to a visual
presentation using puppetry, Sunday
,morning. Several teenagers helped to
put the message across.
The word was "Christian" - could
you read it? What did it mean? Did-
the
idthe fact that one had been born into
a Christian family; goneto church
regularly; attested to certain
behaviour patterns; were morally de-
cent, did this constitute the title?
No, only a Blear, personal accep-
tance of Jesus as Saviour and a
sincere invitation to Him to live in our
hearts was the real meaning of the
word. Rev. Shaule's messagewas an
affirmation of this act of faith when
he chose as his text 2 Cor. 5, verse 17.
Therefore if any man be in Christ
he is a new creature - old things are
passedaway - behold all things are
become new- - speaking from
Numbers 14. He spoke of the
humaness of the children of Israel -
their fears on seeing the size of the
enemy, their inadequacies, their feel-
ings of .low esteem, made them
vulnerable. •
Self esteem is a gift from God.
Without it we become paralized and
unable to function. Moses stuttered,
Eliza prayed to die, Isaiah, Jeremiah
and even Paul all complained about
their inability to cope but with God's
help, they became the truly great
men of the Bible.
At any age, the Lord can call
anyone of us to work for Him - in some
area we might think quite impossible.
He will never leave us without His
presence and constant support.
Next Sunday is Decoration Sunday
at St. James Cemetery and
September 9 is the first meeting of the
U.C.W. Come and help plan a really
exciting program for next season.
ceptable teachers would include
homosexuals,, lesbians, extreme
feminists, and male chauvanists.
The candidates found cause to
disagree when asked about . the
decrease in provincial funding for
school boards from 60 percent in 1975
to lessethan 49 percent this year.
Giesen said he could not make a
statement without more information,
but Renie Long assured the audience
the Progressive Conservatives are
committed to the restoration of pro-
vincial funding to 60 percent within
five years.
However. Reycraft cjefended his
party's position and argued that
statistics actually show increases of
5.4 percent lastyear and six percent
this year of approved expenditures by
the boards of education. given an in-
flation rate of four percent. He agreed
that the province should increase its
education assistance, and insisted
that his party aims for 60 percent fun-
ding, but for approved expenditures.
only. .
"The Ministry of Education has no
control over spending by boards of
education, so to guarantee 60 percent
of what every board of education
wanted. to spend would be, in effect.
issuing a blank cheque - that would
represent a loss of control for the pro-
vince over expenditures and that's not
something we are prepared to do."
Wyat does not consider local taxes
an equitable method of funding and
would like to see virtually 100 percent
provincial support of education.
Emery found the question to be
fraudulent in nature.
"You can tell this question was
written by a school hoard trustee
because every time they have to raise
the rates people howl -- they don't like
that, they would rather the provincial
government tax everyone indirect-
ly....The money all comes from you.
get that straight."
-Other topics for discussion includ-
ed the provincial funding of capital
works projects, the effect of annexa-
tion on the Middlesex Board of Educa-
tion, and the question of provincial
funding of private schools., -
Lucan and district news
Susan cook
227.4911
(
THE QUEEN'S COACH — Clare Patton was the coach for the Queen's
Plowing Competition at the Middlesex Match Saturday. With him are
this year's winner Anna McCallum and 1986 queen Kelly Giesen.
The Middlesex County Board of Education
School Opening & Bus Routes
School Year 1987=88
Middlesex County public elementary and secondary
schools open on. Tuesday, September 8 at regular
school opening times.
School buses serving these schools will initially follow
the same routes and time schedules as last year.
Parents should note that McGillivray Central Route
No. 4 will be as follows:
Start 8:05 a.m. at County Rd. 24 and Conc. 2 of
McGillivray Twp., south to Lot 20, eat to County Rd.
22, south to Hwy. 7, west to Conc. 2, north to Lot 26,
west to Conc. 4, north to County Rd. 24, west to Conc.
10, south to Conc. 8,west to Conc. 12, north to Coun-
ty Rd. 24 to school.
Questions regarding transportation matters should
be directed to Mr. Keith Grigg at 471-3510.
E.R. Poole F.S. Toll
Chairman Director of Education
f
VOTE FOR
LEADERSHIP THAT'S WORKING
in MIDDLESEX ..e...
LEADERSHIP
EXPERIENCE and
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
really count
Re-elect DOUG REYCRAFT
YOUR CANDIDATE
• a FAMILY man with SOLID ROOTS in
MIDDLESEX
• a LEADER in community; church and sports
• a former REEVE of GLENCOE
• a former WARDEN of MIDDLESEX COUNTY
• a former member of the BOARD of
GOVERNORS of the UNIVERSITY of
WESTERN ONTARIO
• M.P.P. For MIDDLESEX
• PARLIAMENTARY ASSISANT td the Minister
of Education
•
WORKING FOR MIDDLESEX
• to guarantee a SAFE, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
• to preserve and protect the FAMILY FARM
• to guarantee EXCELLENCE in EDUCATION
• to guarantee AFFORDABLE HOUSING
• to guarantee a SOLID, SECURE
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
Headquarters on Gainsborough Road in
Hyde Park for a sign or to help 472-4450.
Re-elect DOUG REYCRAFT
'FERAL
MIDDLESEX
J