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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-10-01, Page 22Page 22 Times-Adoocate, October 1, 1997 C liriessmnr Iliesaminot—awir We won't, we can't, back down "No teacher in Ontario wants to • strike." Dear Faliror: As a teacher in Ontario l feel compelled to try to- setthe record straight about' this government's • "teacher legislation". Bill 160. which was presented inthe-Legislature on Monday. September 22. 1997.. ironically. Bill 160 has.heen named.':The Education - Qualityimprovement Act." There is little in Bill 160 that has anything todo with improving puhlic educa- ' tion in this province; Indeed. Mr. Snohelen and this government are conducting acampaign to destroy the fundamental foundations of puhlic education in Ontario • The only focus of this -government is to take another pillion dollars from the education budget: • this after taking nut nearly one pillion dollars- already How -can this. possibly improve education'? Taking thisamount of money, from the system., in• . - reality. means the loss of eight to ten•thousand teach- ing dohs. Flow can thi possibly improve education? Bill 160 will allow -non -teachers in our school] "teaching". physical education.• computer-related courses. guidance programs. lihrary science. and technical subjects. it's one thing do know everything there is to know about computers: it's avert' differ, ent matter when it comes down to "teaching" what - ybu-know to a class of 15 or more students when you have access to 15 machines. Speaking of class .iia. the Ministry presented fig- ures a week ago that said the•average class in - Ontario schools•has 22 'students' .Ask your sons and daughters how many students are in their .;lasses. I doubt very'much that you will hear a number even close- to 22. The Minister says That -is because local Collective bargaining has created the huge classes we see today. No. Mr Snohefen' Your government • has -- this with your cut -hacks to education. twill be. interested to seethe magic you plan to perforin. by cutting class size -while extracting a pillion more dol- lars and cutting,thouands of jobs One Of the major issues for secondary school teachers. whom.' represent, is the loss of 'prepara- tion time". This does not mean: simply. that we lose most ofthetime we presently receive rising the day to prepare lessons. mark. phone or Meet -with par-- r - ents:•,meet indi'idually with students, photocopy ibecau.;eimanv of us do -pot have iezthooksi..confer- • ence with other teachers, etc.. h means greatly increasing the daily workload of teachers by giving us anotherclass to teach, another lesson to prepare. and anotherclass-set of marking to do. Snobelen is not cutting "prep time" in order to increase the time teachers spend with students..He is doing it hecause this change, alone. will mean the Toss of eight to ten thousand teachers in ihesystem... The addition of an extra class (and all that goes with it) and the Toss of "prep time" will mean that many of us.will have neither the time nor the energy 'to do all the coaching .and supervising of club activi- ties that we presently do voluntarily. -However, Bill . t60 makes a provision for this scenario. text. it will make coaching. -of all -kinds. mandatory. So, all those extra -curricular hours teachers devoted to students in • the past, because we care ahnut creating well-round- ed young people. will he forced on us by this legisla- tion. •• kis impossible for me. in this format. to do any: thing more than scratch the surface of Bill 160.— There There is.a great deal of intOrmation available if•yitu . are interested in -getting more than the -government's ilex. halt' -truths. twisted statistics, and smoke- - screens. • • • - Every. night -on the news [hear Mr. Snohelen otfertng til -listen. if the leaders of -the teachers'. fed- eratiorts wiuild fiist meet with him. The reality is that our leaders have met and have -talked over and over :again::the problem is that no onc.in this government is willing to listen'. They want their billion dollars . and they arc ening to get it. one way •or another. tram education. - - . . - • - [fanything else were true. why will•the Minister . not'guarantce that he will reinvest this moneyin the system and -truly improvethe quality of education in Ontario.' •- . No teacher in Ontario wants to -strike. Bil.1.160 is . 262 pages ot:dcpliorable legislation that reduces sou- 'dents and teachers to pawns who are --at the mercy • and whims -of the Minister of Education. This is not a foil .tor.hrgher salaries or better benefits. It a battle tn'save the very heart and --gout of puhlic edu- ..ation. the teaching procession. and the future Of almi)st every child in Ontario. En that sense. it is• everyone; tight' - • Mary Ann Cruickshank - President, District 45 Ontario -Secondary School Teacher~' Federation - • • Pushkld porceialn. Beth Robb, 8, left, tries to push sister Laura, 1.1, across the .finish 'line during the Porcelain Pony Races at the 146th llderton Fall Fair on Saturday. At top: They're all ambassadors. llderton Fall Fair prince Kevin Cook of llderton, 5, left, fair ambassador runner-up Jill Borland, fair princess Allison Vanderhoek - of Ailsa Craig, 5. fair ambassador Sally Vail of RR1 Denfield and ambassador second and third runners-up Brian Hatt of llderton and Lisa Hardy of Lucan.hold court outside the llderton Community Centre during the •- • parade on Saturday. Above: And they're off. Brave young men -get ready to try to catch a game calf during the Calf Scramble at the 146th annual llderton Fall Fair on Saturday. Each successful calf rustler who got an animal across the finish line will receive $100 after they show a calf in next year's scramble. School overlooked "...we've been in Huron Park for almost four years now" Dear Editor: • I was looking forward to your "special" article on "Martial Arts in Huron County" this week until I noticed something that was very disappointing. • What I noticed. was that you neglected to include an excellent school of Martial Arts in Huron Park. This school is the Golden Tiger School of Kung -Fu. 1 was very cunnus as to why this school was overlooked in your paper. Your article said "local schools". which I read as Exeter and the general vicinity. 1 don't have a degree in geography hut. -I do believe Huron Park should tit under your categoryof ' local". After all. it's a mere.K km. south of Exeter. Another point of interest struck me as well: That 'was the fact that we've been in Huron Park for almost tour years now. On every occasion: with the exception of one, -we've called your paper and requested a reporter to come out and photograph our Kung -Fu school and it's events on numerous dates. The only exception which was on the night of our - - open house. about one.year ago. A reporter came out • to this event and had maybe taken three or tour pis- - tures. This -was tine. hut what l didn't understand • was that she never even talked to my teacher who runs the schdol or•anyone tnvoh•ed with our Kung- - Fu school, for the fact of the matter. I personally found this rude and disrespectful. • Lastly, i've noticed. whenever any -Exeter martial - arts school such as Exeter Tae'Kwan Do. receive • new pelts or take gradings. they get in' the newspa- per. I have nothing against any other styles at all hut, what do we have'todo to get notification from your newspaper'? Wasn't our open house enough to get at least one picture? Does your paper havesome - sort r f prejudice against any schools outside of •• Exeter? Do,we have to re -locate to Exeter to receive a picture and some: recognition from you-? - Maybe you should have changed•your article to. -• say "Exeter Schools". -rot '`Local. Schools". stn t wouldn't have been so misled to think that for •_ "once" we were in. the'newspaper. • I'm sorry. hutin my opinion, we've been over- looked (one too many times. 1 -would appreciate'it if • you would -somehow create articles that weren't mis- . leading in the future, so that people reading your ...paper won't he upset to find out that they have pur- chased your paper for nothing, after finding out that - what they really wanted wasn't coniained,in your pages. Thank you-tor'or time. • - - Craig Angyal • - Student of Golden Tiger: Resident of Huron Park Consultant's report questioned. ...1 have some apprehension regarding some suggestions made by the Consultant." Dear Editor: As Manager of the Exeter Public Utilities Commission for 35. years, I am receiving a•number Of comments regarding changes proposed by Town Council's consultant and am asked for my opinion. [ have and continue to•admire and respect council members that have served the Town of Exeter with • mirnmat remuneration other than the satisfaction they arc contributing to the good of the community. Council has retained the servicesof•a Consultant and while no one can he.an expert in all Iields i do not understand how he arrived at -some of his propos- als. - . Items in your paper indicate -that some municipal-. - , employees are being terminated, some .with long - employment with the Town: of Exeter and I question - it these terminations are premature: - Decisions being made by. the Provincial- • Gbvernment. would1ndicatle ttaitt the future of Exeter could have thrce.aiternatives as a municipal govern - menta - - - (i r Enlarging the area and population r)l the Town by annexing, with mutual agreement, areas. in the • • Townships: (2) Amalgamations with area.Townships: (3) A County government-wtth.a single tier. . 11Exeter retains its cxisungstaff and organiza• - tions until one of these• possibilities arc decided, staff that are being considered as surplus might be - absorbed to a restructured government providing they can compete with other municipal workers for - pusiurins.- . if however. their jobs are terminated prior to some type of restructuring -they will miss the opportunity for future municipal employment. As an exatnple, if item one was considered then hydro lines would have to be purchased from Ontario Hydro and connected to the Town of Exeter distribution system. Water main would probably be required in the added areas which would require extensions to new customers.. The direction Exeter takes in the -future will require extensive deliberations by Council and with the approximately 50 per cent of Council indicating they will not stand for re-election in 1997 possibly the 1998 Council should be the body to decide any major changes as they will then have to operate with. the decisions that they have made. 11 item #2 is decided as the future government for Exeter area I trust every effort would be made to convince Hay Township that Usburne Township. Stephen Township and the Town of Exeter needs' them in our community. it would seem we have a greater community of interest with Hay Township than as example Townships south of Grand Bend, although they both would be of benefit to the restructured community. • Having managed the Public Utilities, I have some apprehension regarding some suggestions made by the consultant. - - • The Public Utilities operates two departments, one - is hydro and the other is .water and they :have two elected Commissioners ati.wetl ,is the Mayor.. • - Neither department receis%es lundiing from municipal taxes and must meet all operating and capital- .expenses from the''.ale of etectnctty and water. . • Reductions.in grams hy'the. Provmetal Government T(houid not :dfect the Public. Utilities as it does not operateon annual grants. The Utility has' . _ trained -it's linemen and water department staff and most arc certified hydro -and. water-Jistnbution aper ators by the. Provincial•Guvernment. -Theexisung - staff allows the Manager to utilize most if his Ltirplovee Jn hydro de.partmeht or water department. work when required. Iles allows them to replace old water mains or.work on major hydro—construction: This las been very successful for number of years.It is interesting to note that since 1958 only one • . employee has heenadded.to ihe.,taff. in a ..mail - Utility. such as.lrxetcr•a Manager with .a considerable - knowledge of electncal and water distribution is • -required as he is expected to. analyte the electrical and water system requirements and set a•hudget with - a knowledge of rnatenais that will maintain work is. - done safely: as Exeter has some extremely high volt- . ages. as well :as a number of different voltages The • ..higher voltage. inmost cases sue energiued'when -staff work onthem•as continuous energy has.now become a roust: - • - I question that a consultant.,rr ;anyone not familiar .. With electricity would take into -consideration the . number of staff required to handle this work and still have.stal'f to maintain and take .:arc of other projects that arise. Outside staff just have confidence in the: . Manager and Foreman as they trust their lives to decisions made by these two employees.- - - - -. If hydro or water department staff is reduced and • as the operation of these nvu departments of -the Public Utilities Commission ,tic not receiving nun-` . eys from inunicrpal taxes then it would he natural lo .onclude 'hat .uatf reductions would he followed by •a decrease In rates for both departments. It is interesting to note that the hydro department has not increased rates"since 1'+U -:.rid during 199.5 . and 1996 rates were reduced h‘ ipproxrmateiy-seven per cent. The water departrncnt last Increase In rates was dither in 1993 or 1994. • . As these departments of the•Exeter Public Utilities • Comrnissionare sell supporting and rates :are lower than most municipalities and.ai retiable•;upply of electricity and water is herng maintained* would indicate change at the present is not necessary. how- ever when some type of restructuring with other municipalities takes.place, that would he an -oppor- tune time for those in office at thaturne to consider • the ments.of reducing staff. To conclude. considering Provincial reductions in grants has no affect on the Public Utilities and as - service and rates are reasonable it Is difficult to - understand why Council would not consider leaving the operation of the Public Utility with the Commission. Hugh Davis Areyou concerned!.,,,•• about thes !IIIn Lake Huron • water quality? sty? QeOrge Collett, Idaho "I've read comments in the newspa- per. It's a subject of concern for all people. " Mary Dougall, Hay Township "We live in the coup- try...we don't use the Lake Huron water system." Shirley Kemps, London 'Yes, we need good drinking water." MIMOSA Market, Exeter "Yes, it needs to be cleaned." Manny Walker, BayAWd "We've only lived in Bay- field for nine weeks and we're on a well." Bill Walker, Bayfeld "I think every- body is con- cerned. " June Plante- Harvey, Huron Park "I think we all should be con- cerned about water quality everywhere. How are we go ing to live with- ithdual out clean water and how much will it cost to clean it up?" An Pelesh, London "I am concerned health -wise down the line." Bob Snow, Exeter "I am con - cerned. It's important for future genera- tions of the count ry'