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Home My WebLink AboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1995-02-08, Page 64 THE WINCNIIM ADI/IINC,ETIMES WEDNESDAY, Full r8o 199 Recommendations have a far reaching effect on how we view our education system By MARGARET STAPLETON The Advance -Times Two years in the making, Onta- rio's Royal Commission on Learn- ing released its report late last month. Although it has been herald- ed in many quarters as a common- sense approachto education in the 1990s, some areas in 550 -page re- port already are seen as- conten- tious. What does appear to be agreed upon is that whoever wins this spring or summer's provincial elec- tion, manyof the recommendations of the report will be acted upon. Af- ter two years and thousands of dol- larsin taxpayers' money spent on the royal -commission, it will form the basis for learning for a new generation of Ontario school chil- dren. Most insiders say they believe that Dave Cooke, Ontario .minister of education, will move quickly to implement at least some of the rec- ommendations. Wayne Tessier, principal at the F. E. Madill Secon- dary School in Wingham, suggests that amalgamation of some school boards might be the first place- the minister will start. - "For the' Love of Learning" rep- resents a shift away. from Ontario's last report on education -- the Hall- Dennis Report of 1968-- which.fo- cusedon a student's sense of worth, rather than any need to meet province -wide standards. )The recently -released report rec- ommends four fundamental "educa- tional engines". They include: --Teacher professionalization and development. Teachers will have a large role to play in thele- form of schools and the commis- sion recommends that teachers' col- lege programs in the province be extended to two years from the cur- rent one. As well, professional de- velopment would be mandatory for all educators. The report also proposes an On- tario College of Teachers should be established_as an independent body to determine professional standards and be responsible for certifying Ieapherg and for accrediting teacher education programs. --Community alliances. The commission recommends that eve- ry school create a school- community council with staff, pad ents, students and community rep- resentatives to better link school and community. --Early Childhood Education: By far the most controversial pro- posal is the recommendation that the province offer optional school - readiness programs for all three- year -olds: According to the report: "Such early learning can positively affect a child's success at school -- chil- dren who experience high-quality programs not only gain competence and coping skills, but also develop positive attitudes to learning. A se- cure supportive learning environ- ment at an early age is also a way of making sure that all children. have the same opportunities and that learning problems can be iden- tified and addressed." --Information Technology. In today's world, computer literacy is becoming as essential as print liter- acy and information technology is a powerful new tool which can re- shape the traditional nature' of teaching and learning. It is pro- posed that government and busi- ness cooperate to provide schools with network links and appropriate technological resources. HIGHLIGHTS Other highlights of recommenda- tions in the report include: --a centrally -developed curricu- lum for all pupils in the province - with two kinds of courses, academ- ic and applied courses with an emphasis 'on applied skills and knowledge; --destreaming la Grades I to 9, specialization in Grades 10 to 12, with a phasing -out of the Ontario Academic Credits, previously Grade 13; Education repo'rt.e.The recently -released Royal Commission Report on Education in Ontario proposes that --a province -wide uniform as- sessment of literacy and .numeracy, by the end of Grade 3, as well as a province -wide "literacy guarantee" test in, ' Grade 11; --a common report card, which is easy ' to understand. REACTION • Huron 'MPP Paul Klopp said in a ,telephone interview last week that although he had not read the entire report, he supported its.recommen- dations. In talking to some of his constituents, he added, some said they believe the report had gone too far; others thought it had not gone far enough. ••Phasing out Grade 13 has been discussed for a number of years, he said, adding that Ontario is the only province which still has the fifth year of high school. He allows that Grade 13 will not be gone overnight, but its phasing- out could free up more money for boards to invest in early -childhood education. By having children start three -year-olds, like these children at the Wingham Nursery School, go to school. `GradelJ nol be gone oveighi, 6u( • ils phasing oul upsore o,ney jor boards Id invesi in eathrhildhoodeducatioii' school at three years of age, -he rea- soned, it would have them inter- acting with other people earlier in life. ..t Klopp said he sees . a common Curriculum as good for all pupils in the province, as well as a way for local boards to save money. How- ever, he adds, there would be local input. As students must learn to be- come more computer literate, boards will have to establish part- nerships with corporations. Klopp notes that schools in Huron County have been working in partnership with industry since the mid-1980s. 'This reportgets us out of the 1960s," -he concludes. BOARD VIEW Lil Nolan, Wingham representa- tive on the Huron County Board of Education, says she wonders where the money will come from to im- plement recommendations of the report, if they are mandated. The board budget has been pared to the bone, Nolan says, adding there is no fat left for any extras. If the province expects boards to put . new programs in place,. it must come up with the money, not on a one-time basis, but rather as a long- term approach. While she agrees with standard- ized testing for pupils, she has strong views on sending three -year- olds to school and sees it as a logis- tical and administrative nightmare. The Huron board instituted Jun- ' for Kindergarten reluctantly and only when pressured by the prov- ince to do so, Nolan adds. Sending three -year-olds to school would ' , burden over -crowded schools and there are the problems with trans- portation of small children, as well ,gas putting them in a setting with much older children, not to mention staffing and equipment require- ments. She questions the proposal. espe- cially in light of the millions of tax Fax-inating .project...F.E. Madill Walker's Grade 12 Computer Studies class er a local fax number directory as part of a class are: sitting — Amy Thomas, Amy Amanda Todd, Jackie McBurney, Helen Deyell. teacher Terry recently class put togeth- project. In the Wilhelm, Gail Daily, Standing — Ma - rte Cronyn, sat! Brindley, Walker. The Julie Jen class Elston, Shawn Gedke, Lorie Morrison, Chry- Morre, Craig Boynton, April Kroetsch and Mr. will also be conducting a retail survey in On February 16. sleeted downtown businesses dollars spent building and equip- ping the excellent day care and nur- sery schools which exist locally and all across the province. DAY CARE Jane Lane, director of the Wing - ham Children's Centre, was taken completely by surprise by the rec- ommendation to send three -year- olds to school. Although the institution of Junior Kindergarten has not had a great impact on enrolment at the chil- dren's centre and Wingham Nur- sery School, Mrs. Lane says she be- lieves if three -year-olds were to go to school, it could have a major im- pact. The notion that three -year-olds can and should learn in a social setting is nothing new to Mrs. Lane and her co-workers. They have been providing quality care in well- equipped prernises for 20 years here in town. They also provide a protective environment for youngsters -and the extended' hours that working par- ents -need. In these times .of restraint, Mrs: Lane says she sees placing three- year -olds in the school system as a duplication of, services, taking away from long-established and well-run day care centres, PRINCIPALS Marie Parsons, principal at the Wingham Public School, welcomes a move to standardized testing in the province, as does Tessier at the F. E. Madill Secondary School. Several other recommendations mentioned in the. report already. have been put in place locally, such as parent councils at both the public and high school. - The implementation .of Junior Kindergarten has gone extremely well at Wingham Public, says Par- sons. However, if three -year-olds were to go to school it would tax the already over-crowded.facilities. The elimination of Grade 13, OAC, would affect the number of/ staff at the high school, says Tessi- er. Traditionally, Grade 13 in Onta- rio has been the equivalent of a first-year university program, he says. Its elimination could very well add another year to unversity degree programs. - WHY NOT TEST' THIS RECIPE FOR A HEALTHIER TOMORROW?! Gate taste of the world and smart USC Canada progress la Africa and Asia. To who o donation or b ons acopy o(d.'Global Kikians cookbook (.110.00+ 33.00 upping) ai 1400- 5&56115C or writ. USC Corina. USC O,..ts' . K1P581 Canada! 2:3 4 4827 Ny contribution t Is enclosed. pears. 01a0.13 — Name: Address: Meese send me cookbook(s). (Anse VIM and Weide Apt Yo..a caw coda Registration number 00114118-08.10