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GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESIDAY, APRIL 1, 1.987—PAGE lA
Primary education is critical in the development of children and educators are ad-
vocating a shift in the way children are educated in the primary grades. A public
meeting will be held at the Clinton Public School Monday to discuss the proposals con-
tained in a report entitled, Early Primary Education Project. Director, Fran Polesehuk
will be present. In the photo above, kindergarten students at Victoria Public School enjoy
some creative time with one another. (photo by Dave Sykes)
Primaryeducation is critical
Teachers feeratfon campaigns for °a change in approach
"Weknow that the way we educate
young children will shape the way they are
able to live their whole lives. In fact, if we
fail young children it may not be possible
to undo the damage when they, are older."
That from Carol Dewey, the provincial
president .of the Federation of Women
Teachers Associations of Ontario,' a group
that, has taken on the arduous task of
reshaping the way we educate children in
the primary grades. -
The federation, which represents
teachers in the elementary schools, many
of which teach primary grades, has laun-
ched an ambitious long-term campaign to
raise public pressure to convince the, pro-
vincial government to target funds for
primary classrooms and programs that
Will enable school boards to:
- lower the class size
• - provide preparation time to primary
teachers
- develop and implement long-term profes-
sional development activities for primary
teachers •
- allocate adequate physical space for
activity -based programs
appoint primary, consultants and other
needed specialists
-,provide quality resource materials in suf-
ficient quantities for activity , based
programs
The federation's Primary Education
. Campaign' is designed to inform parents,
school trustees and provincial politicians
about how important rearning is at the
primary level, and to convince them that
more money is required to reduce class
size and to allow for adequate preparation
time.
As part of its continuing education cam-
paign,the federation has arranged for
Fran Poleschuk, Director of the Early
Primary Education Project of the
Ministry of Education, to speak on the im-
portance of the primary years at Clinton
Public School Monday, April 6 at 8 p.m.
The meeting is open to the public.
The education of children at the primary
level has been one of the most salient
issues facing the education system.
Parents and educators have faced the
issue of whether or not children should be
enrolled in junior kindergarten? Is the
primary program too structured? Should
children be exposed to a school -learning
situation before Kindergarten?•
The Ministry's Early Primary Educa-
tion Project, directed by Poleschuk, was
designed to "strengthen the message of
personalized and individualized programs
for young children." The Project's 42
recommendations include phasing in
,junior kindergarten throughout' 'Ontario
with reasonable child -adult ratios; active
play -based learning with both time and
space kept flexible; and developing learn-,
ing profiles so that program can be
adapted for each child's strength and
needs, taking social and cultural factors
into account.
While adults may not think play' is im-
portant to schooling, research is increas-
ingly showing that it is the natural way
young children learn. in programs that
utilize play, the teacher forms a partner-
ship with the child, project advisor Diana
Tomlinson said. Teachers provide the
time, opportunities, support, good models
and freedom for the child to explore and
learn.
Recognizing the critical nature r. of
primary education and the impact it has
on the children both now and later in life,
the federation is pushing for smaller class
sizes as an , integral component of the
program.
BY
WILLIA
THOMA
The best things
in life aren't
free any longer
In future .editions of English dic-
tionaries the word "free" as in "exempt
of price, duties or fees" will not appear.
There will be no need for it; every ear-
thly entity will bear a price tag. In fact it
does already.
Remember when you were a kid and
somebody would say "What's new?" and
somebody else would say New York,
New. Jersey, New Hampshire." And
somebody might ask "What's free?" and
somebody else would answer "water,
air, dreams and your mother's kisses."
Well last month the company that
hauls my water raised their delivery
rates and I'm not paying $17 for every
thousand gallons of water they dump into
my cistern. Bathing in the dish water
'after supper and brushing your teeth in
rain barrels are becoming quite popular
around Sunset Bay. •
A few days after my hopes of free
water were washed' away I drove • a
loaner car with a deflating front tire into
'The Rust Check Center on Ontario Street
in St. Catharines. Filling flat tires is one
of the few things I know about cars so, it
was with gusto that I grabbed the air •
hose and from a'backcatcher,s stance
made a fast marriage of the male, and
female valve connections. Nothing, as iS
often the case, came -of the marriage.
I yanked the cord, rejoinedthe valves
and a voice canie out.
"You gotta put a quarter 'in," said a
ballcapped attendant just past my -front
right fender and.beyond any hope of ever
• being 'the guest speaker ,at a graduation
commencement ceremony.
"I don't want to phone it. I just want to
fill it:" I replied, annoyed at being denied
the execution of the one car repair I can
handle other than.readjusting the aerial
after emerging froma ear wash'. ,
"You gotta put.a quarter in," he droll -
ed, disgusted by my ignorance of things
modern and profit -oriented..
I put a quarter in the slot and inflated
the flat which enabled 'me to drive yet
another mile down the street called
.Disallusion. For your information, 30
pounds of air will now eost,you 25 cents.
That's approximately, one .and a half
cents per pound and if you work it out in
metric it still Works out to be loathsome.
In the nights -that followed, my sleep
pattern became fractured by the fact .
that water and air were no longer free. In
my dreams everything had , a slot
mounted on it. I needed a quarter to open
the fridge. a quarter to set the radio
alarm clock and a quarter to go to my
own bathroom. I fought it for as long as I
could until I became emaciated, lazy,
constipated'. The Bell billed me for local ,
calls, the Post Office put a coin opener on
my mail box and my cat demanded a tip
after 1 petted him. Watching television,
cost me a quarter even for a rerun; while
listening to CBC -Radio was a nickel.
That, I found reasonable.
Nonetheless it was hell with a silver
slot attached. It was living in a penny ar-
cade under the pressure of 2,500 per cent
inflation.
The last, time it happened I woke up,
covered in cold perspiration to find a
pale -skinned, delicate fellow dressed like
Boy George standiig beside my bed.
"Who the hell are, you?" I screamed.
"The sandman," he said with a' lisp.
'You owe me two dollars," he continued,
ohe hand on his hip, the other Outstretch-
ed and open.
"For what?"
"For, your last dream silly!" he
answered as he sashayed to the dresser
and took a two dollar bill from my money
clip.
"Two dollars a dream!,", I hollered
incredulously, '
',;And that's a bad dream. Sunshine.'
he went on, "Good 'ones go from five to
seven dollars depending on the ending."
The cord on the digital radio snapped
as I ripped it off the headboard and sent
it flying in the direction of the doorway
through which this cretin was fleeing.
Dodging the appliance which smashed
against the wall and ripped my "Bryce
MacKesy For Prime Minister" poster,
he stuck his head back in the room.
"And have you kissed yolr mother
lately?" he asked sweetly.
"What's it to you?"
"She's considering back billing you for
kisses going right back to birth and She's
Aced me to act as collector." He left.
First water, the air, now dreams and
the wet ones your Mom planted on you.
• Nothing's for nothing anymgri except
this column.
I suppose you get what you pay for.
It has been suggested that smaller class
size results in fewer disciplinary pro-
blems, more individual attention, more
student participation, more. pupil motiva-
tion, less teacher stress, more time to com-
municate with parents and increased op-
portunity to understand each child's in-
dividual needs and abilities.
For the first time, Victoria Public School
has two integrated kindergarten classes
and teachers Carof Egener and Beth Wark
have the advantage of classroom help.
"This is unique to have two classes but
it's working "really well," Wark explained.
"The smaller class size is important and
we have an aide because of the integrated
classroom. We can see that literary ibe-
ing developed, children are lear
through discovery and we are better alae
to meet the special needs of integrate
g
1
students."
Those sentiments were echoed by
Egener who said the optimum classroom
size is around 15 students. She's enthused
about the program at Victoria, claiming,
it's the children who come out winners.
Part of the problem is convincing the
government., and perhaps even parents,
about the crucial importance of the years
3-8 in children's learning. Studies suggest
that young children need individual atten-
tion from their teachers, more activity -
based learning programs and the
resources and space to develop their full
potential.
It can't be accomplished without funding
and ultimately, the taxpayer, through the
province, should providemore funding for
primary education. Provincial govern-
ment grants for education are $911 more
6
Beth Wark's kindergartemlassroom at
Victoria Public School is void of desks but
there is plenty of room for group activities,
there are creative and play areas, quiet
spots and sand and water tables. This
year, for the first time, there are two in-
tegrated kindergarten classes at Victoria
and teachers get to spend more time with
students and attend to special needs with
the help of classroom aides. (photos by
Dave Sykes
for each secondary student than for each
elementary child.
The federation suggests that more fun-
ding is required in the formitive years. the
critical years in a child's development,
"We are concerned because we think
classes are too large for effective teaching
and learning. We are concerned because
we think primary teachers need more
preparation time." Dewey said. "Educa-
tion is much more complex than it used to
be and primary teachers, as well as all
otherteachers, need time to prepare for ef-
fective teaching."
The federation's campaign is attempting
to convince people who make decisions
that money spent on primary education
will have better results than any other
money spent on any other level of
education.
Primary classrooms need rugs for sit-
ting,. floorspace for games, work tables,
quiet °laces, sand and water tables.
display space for art work, noisy areas for
trucks and blocks, dividers for 'separate
areas and open doors for visitors ' and
'parents. Teachers•need time to,prepare 'to
plan themes, to talk to children, to wa'ch
and observe, to interact, to instruct and to
organize. •
The success of the primary program
also depends on the people involved from
the principal and teachers to the aides,'
parent volunteers and students assisting.
Turn to page 2A
INSIDE
Entertainment... P 4-5
Sports Page 1B
School News.. , Pg, 6-7B
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