HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-03-14, Page 34
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WI t hem ifigures, were .pregantad to
farroWOtiiik.,Withnfthe4Otinr4nnttyi they
responfiod oagatThewomen felt that they
watild be mare libeiy ..to receive drugs for •
etriPti9114 PTOble-Mathan their spou,se;since
moo altering drugs would be a safety
hazard for men operating equipment. It
disturbed the women to think that doctors
would prescribe drugs for an emotional
problem," Gisele Ireland wrote. '
Self worth.
Despite the difficulties with stress, the
survey showed that farm women feel more
confident, more capable,' more fortunate
and more intelligent than their urban
counterparts. However, they did feel a lower
degree off social standing than urban
women. -
The survey showed that 69 per cent of the
farm_wornen,...hacL..at least. a Grade 10
Half of the women had
professional careers teacliing and nursJ.ng
being-thernest.poPilaroccupatiOns.
• When the survey was taken, 33 per cent
had off -farm jobs. The majority, 88 per cent,
were bringing in, a pay cheque because of
financial reasons and 96 per cent
contributed their earnings t� the farm.
Women working off the farm reported
lower levels.of frustration, perhaps because
the extra,-incorne helped tor relieve some of
the financial burden. However it was also
found that women working away from the'
fa rm increased t he i ra lcohol consumption.
The woman who remains on the farm is
described in the C'FW book, "she) has no
status other than "housewife," unless she is
registered as a legal farm partner or is part
of the corporate farm setup. She is not
eligible for pay into the government pension
plan unless she receives a wage and files a
separate income tax return. A farm wife has
no insurance coverage, other than what she
personally purchases. There are no
maternity benefits or maternity leave.
Some of the women considered the week in
the hospital to deliver' the baby, a holiday."
Forty-three , per cent of the women felt
that their dollar worth as a farm laborer
Would be $1,001 to $5,000. and 32 per cent
estimated their. value at $5,001 to $10,000.
Realistically, women were not concerned
with receiving wages for their efforts on the
farm. •
, Children
Fifty-three per cent of the women who
worked on .the farm took their children
Beth Slumskie
under 12 years old with them. Sixteen per
cent had older children to care for the
younger siblings, 10 per cent left the
children alone in the houss, seven per cent
hired sitters and four per cent left children
to play in a field or the barn.
Raising children on the farm was seen aS
a both a rewarding and- distressing
experience. Children on the farm learn
about the life cycle at an early age. They
hear about financing, learn about the
relationship of productivity and wages and
develop a sense of value.
Farm children also know about work.
Youngsters on a dairy farm, for instance,
often help with the feeding of calves.
Teenagers help in the more complicated
operation of the farm and parents hope that
their offspring will eventually take over the
farm.
Children working on the farm can also end
in tragedy. Beth Slumskie can personally
attest to that fact of life as one of her sons
was killed in a farm accident.
She stressed that farming is o4en thought
Enrolment expected to drop
Doris Sweiger
to be a good education for children, but she
warned that • farms are becoming more
mechanized and are using bigger
machinery.
"Even the best of people can have
accidents," she said.
Of those surveyed, 57 per cent had
children under 16 operating machinery and
74 per cent felt that they were adequately
trained. However, on financially distressed
farms, 61 per cent felt that their children
shouldn't be operating machinery. Lack of
hired help and financial pressures were
estimated as caused of concern with this
statistic.
The good life
'
Despite some of the troublingsurvey
results, many of the farm women also
reported that they appreciated their style of
life on the farm. Country living,
independence, rural values and production
were reported as the most satisfying aspects
of farm life.
"Only 11 per cent of the women surveyed
indicated a desire to leave the farm 4 even
. .
Less students, less_t_each,ing posittons_
Enrolment .at Huron County elementary
---:---and-secondary-sehools-for-this-September-
expected to • be deown4y,L5 sthdehtsyshich
will result in 10.9 less teathirig-poSitiohsl"
The Huron County Board of Education ap-
proved a 1984-85 teaching staff of 588 both
full tithe and pill: time teachers at its March
• 5 meeting. There are presently 598_9
• teaching positions in Huron's elementary
and secondary schools and schools for the
trainable mentally retarded.
• Peter Gryseels, superintendent of person-
nel, said the reduction of 5.8 teaching posi-
tions at the elementary level are expected to
be handled through natural attribution. This
means that enough teachers may retire or
• leave the Huron County school system to go
to another board to make it unnecessary to• .
let any teachers go.
There are presently 330.8 elementary
• school teaching positions.
Mr. Gryseels said it is hoped that a
• similar situation will happen at the secon-
dary level where 7.5 teaching positions will
beeliniinated for this September.
If not, the superintendent said some
-teachers—witbA-emperary-:-contracts—may-
have to be let go: Thele are now 239 secon-
dary school teaching positions.
• Mr. Gryseels noted that there 'may 'be
special considerations • made . regarding
secondary school teachers, particularly at
the smaller schools. As an example, he said
if there was a small number, such as 10, of
Grade 13 students at Seaforth District High
School requiring a specific subject, a
teacher may have to be hired to enable these
students to receive their diplomas. .
There, were staffing -increases • at both
• schools fOr the trainable mentally retarded
TMR) and student services. The TM! staff
will increase by one teacher to 10.5 teaching
positions and 1.4 positions will be added at
the student services bringing that staff up to
17.
Included in the' teaching, staff are fOur co-
ordinators which will remain the same.
Overall enrolment in Huron County is ex-
pected to go down by 1.6 per cent or reduce
from 10,029 students to 9,870.
-- --- -The elementary- school figures_ show_•
Thdecline of 82 stu ts, from 6,132 to 6,050
The secondary chool numbers indicat
there will be a decline of 81 students from
3,829 to 3,748. ,
There will be an increase of four trainable
mentally retarded students, from 68 to 72.
• Weather
March
6
7
8
9
10
1 VP
12
Snow 10 cm
1984 1983
0 -10 12 3
- 8 - 17 17 5
-11 -24 • 13 6
- 7 23 10 1
- 4 ' -23 • '5 2
- 5- -15 0 -5
-10 --23 3 6
• ,ugh 47 per cent felt they were going to
lose all. or port of their farm in the
• rePortconchillesk
The CFW believe that the family will
continue to, survive and Susan Glover wrote,
"The last decade has seen tremendOtL
changes for women in Canada and farn
women have not been, untouched be these
Yet the traditional concerns for family and
farm remain in the forefront of tarn),
• women's priorities. The financial crisis and
.the farm women's response to it have
'eltemplified the challenges facing farm
• women today. Off-farin jobs, changes in
marriage and property laws, pressures
from urband women's groups and new
visions the women's place in the farming
- enterprise are bringing new challenges to
farm women. Yet the farm remains
staunchly a family enterprise; husbands,
wives and children all fill integral parts in
the success of the family farm, still the
mains lay -agrieultur4-1-
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The future
Concerned Farm Women began for the
support of the family farm and will continue
to work for improvement of the farming
community.
Already their book has sold over 3,000
copies across Canada and in the United
States:. The -Feb. issue of the the United.
Church Observer magazine published the
first chapter of the book. In Newfounclland,
the local agricultural representative has
ordered 50 copies to distribute to farm
women there.
The survey presentation that was brought
to Varna, is also a popular promotion for
CFW. The Nova Scotia School of Arts and
Design recently used CFW video-tapes and
copies of the book for an exhibition on the
use of photography to communicate a social
or political issue.
CFW founders Slumskie and Sweiger
never anticipated this national attention
when the group was first formed, but they
are now determined to learn more about tho.
farming industry, lobby politicans for t:
improvements and inform the public, the
consumer and the farmer.
• They are following the Ccincerried-Farm
Women creed:
To learn, with concern and sincerity,
To teach, with knowledge and
understanding,
To converse, with pride and determination.
To create a better farming economy,
For the benefit of families and country.
More information on Concerned. Farm
Women is available from Box 457, Chesley,
.NOG 1LO.
Huron County Warden Tom Cunningham was pictured preparing his curling stone in last
- weekend's bonspiel in Vanastra. Twenty teams made up of councils from Huron and
Perth counties took part in the event. (Rod Hilts photo) •
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