HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-04-02, Page 23Education
R
eport recommends junir Kinder
school
boards�� topics relating to primary -
aged
on topics relating to primary -
aged children.
3 -That school boards be encouraged to co-
operate with local municipalities and com-
munity agencies that wish to establish fami-
ly resource centres.
The intent of these recommendations is
for the school to join in a partnership with
families, the community at large, other pro-
vincial ministries and social \agencies to
give every child a good start in life.
The fourth area of the study is the "Plan
for Implementation" It recommends:
1-A five year phase-in period.
2 -Some of the boards who already offer
junior kindergarten (50 per cent of the
GODERICH SIGNALSTAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1986 --PAGE 7A
arten for
boards s in Ontario), will be chosen as 'pilot
boards' to develop guides for school board
plans on an Ontario wide basis.
3 -That the Ministry consider the provision
of Incentive grants (for/financial support).
4 -Launch a public awareness campaign to
make all more aware of the project's objec-
tives and methods..
This is a very brief summary of the 93
page report. I am very excited about many
of the recommendations but also am con-
cerned about a few. The administration has
not informed us as to the cost of the im-
plementation in Huron. One of my concerns
is that the ministry may force school boards
to take monies from other areas to support
BY MARY ANN DEMPSEY
Junior Kindergarten in all Ontario schools
is just one proposal included in a Ministry of
Education report on Early Primary Educa-
tion. The many recommendations in this
report are predicted to "revolutionize
education and equalize opportunities for all
Ontario children aged 4 to 8."
The report is 93 pages long and includes 42,.
recommendations. I would like to highlight
the recommendations, I felt would be of
most interest. As your representative on the
Huron County Board, I must hear the tax-
payers feelings on these issues. The board
must have public support in order to justify
the costly implementation of the project.
Studies have shown that the best money '
spent on education is during the early years
(ages 3-8). This period is of great impor-
tance to the intellectual and social growth of
children and their subsequent development.
Studies also show that for every $1,000 spent
on high-quality primary education pro-
grams, society saves $7,000 in later years
because the average child has less need of
remedial learning, fewer bouts with
unemployment and less chance of running
afoul of the law.
The 42 recommendations come under four
headings. The first areapf study is "Child,
School and. Curriculum". It recommends:
1 -Introduction of universal junior
kindergarten across Ontario.
2 -Exploration of full-day kindergarten.
3 -Lower pupil - teacher ratios in classes
for youngsters four to six years old (range of
16 to 20 is suggested).
4 -Flexible dates for children entering
school for the first time (choice of Sept.,
Jan. or March).
5 -Insistence that curriculums focus on play
or activity:based learning as the best and
most natural way for a child to learn. (They
emphasize that children should be able to
develop_ at their own pace and achieve
enough success to acquire a good self-
image)..
6 -That schools develop a "Child Learning
Profile" for each child which will indentify
the talents and interests as well as the needs
of the individual child and indicate how the
program will be adapted to each child.
The second area of study is "Teacher
Education and Certification". There are 12
rcommendations in this area. The main one
is:
Special qualifications for teachers and
teaching assistants dealing with children in
the primary school years.
The third area of study is "Linking School
and Community Services to Support the
Family". The report states that "Today we
knew that what our grandparents sensed
was right; a stable healthy family life and
strong community ties are crucial to the
growing child and ultimately to the well-
being of society. The school is in a position to
support the family as the prime educational
influence. The school can do this -in many
ways, for example, through working closely
withrother community agencies that provide
support services to families. Regular con-
sultation and close co-operation among
parents, teachers and principals is essen-
tial. The report recommends:
1 -Extended day programs before and
after school in co-operation with parents,
community and social ageneses to ensure
children don't have to return to empty
homes.
2 -Establishment of committees to advise
Parents jubilant as
Huron board complies
Twenty-eight members of St. Columban
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) were
jubilant Monday night to have their request
accepted for. the discontinuance of triple
grades in one classroom in the Huron -Perth
County school system. For several years tri-
ple grades have existed in two small schools
• in the system—St. Columban and St.
Joseph's School at Kingsbridge.
At St. Columban the 61 students have been
divided into three classes in the four -room
school—Grades 1,2 and 3, Grades 4,5 and 6
and Grades 7 and 8. Kindergarten children
in the St. Columban area have always. at-
tended St. Patrick's School in Dublin. These
three class groups . were established in
September 1978 in St. Columban.
A month ago 45'members of the St Colum -
ban Parent Teacher Association attended a
board meeting and requested the board to
have a kindergarten in their school because
"Kindergarten children should not be sent
out of the parish'". At that time the Board
Accommodation Review Committee was
asked to study the groupings and the
Kindergarten question at St. Columban. •
The • Committee now reports it is not
prepared to make a recommendation for the
Kindergarten where it is reported the cost of
educating a pupil is $3,400.
Trustee Ronald Murray of St. Columban
stated St. Columban is"a good school" and
made a' Motion that there be no triple grades
there or in any of the separate schools in the
Huron -Perth system. "I don't think it is fair
for St. Columban students to have triple
grading when two grades are better".
Mr. Murray's motion passed easily with a
9 to 4 vote.
In other business the board hired its first
secondary teachers for its new secondary
school starting ,this year at St.' Michael
Secondary School in Stratford. Sister Elaine
Carr of St. Catharines will' teach Religion,
History, while Colleen Nagle of Fergus will
teach both English and Art.
Also hired were two teachers to teach
French- Immersion at St. 'Mary's School. in
Goderich—Marcel St. Arneault and Lorraine
Kingsley, while Francine Quesnell of Lon-
don will teach French Immersion at St.
Aloysius School in Stratford.
The Huron -Perth County Roman Catholic
Separate School Board agreed Monday at a
meeting in Dublin to start a program onthe
prevention of sexual abuse in its 19 schools
in the two counties, limiting it to children in
Kindergarten through Grade 6.
Theresa Bowins, Religion Consultant and
Family Life Resource, informed the board
she has learned that sexual child abuse can
be and is a problem in Huron and Perth as in
other jurisdictions. She stated it is absolute-
ly necessary that it must be a community ef-
children
expanded primary programs. I am also con-
cerned about bussing very -young children.
HurOn is a rural community and junior
kindergarten will dernand half a day pro-
grams. The bussing would be very expen-
sive, Of course there are other concerns
about four year olds going to school and the
necessity of hill time kindergarten. The pros
and cons have to be weighed and many fac-
tors taken into consideration.
I apologize for the length of this article but
found it impossible to do the report justice in
fewer words. If you are interested in more
information or would like to let your
thoughts be known, please feel free to call
me at 524-4283.
fort, involving patents, teachers, social
workers, police and clergy to help -the child
effectively combat child abuse.
The program material is called Feeling
Yes and Feeling No. it consists of
videotapes designed for adults and children
and program materials which will give the
children the tools to protect themselves.
Miss Bowins pointed out that one in three
girls and one in five boys experience some
form of sexual assault before the age of 18.
Parents of students in Huron- and Perth
Counties will be invited to a meeting to
discuss the issue and to review the program
materials before they are implemented in
the schools. Also, at a professional develop-
ment day teachers will be updated and
trained in the use of materials as they play a
crucial role in prevention. She said trained
social workers will be called on to discuss
the three types of abuse—physical, ems
tional and sexual.
This program will be part of the Family
Life Program.
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