Zurich Citizens News, 1972-06-08, Page 4PAGE 4
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ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
Unperceived asset!
A queer quirk in the collective Canadian
personality is that bilingualism, our possession
of two official languages, is widely considered
a liability, instead of, as it actually is, a
major national asset and cause for pride.
All Canadians are not compelled to know
both their country's language and many Can-
adians speak neither correctly --but the advant-
ages of some knowledge of both are enormous.
Some of these advantages are practical. the
ability to reply in the same language in which
one is asked a question; to read La Presse and
the Free Press with equal ease; to possess two
ways of articulating any idea with the option
of using the one which says it best.
Culturally, knowledge of English and French
lay open the treasures of the two greatest lit-
eratures of the modern world.
But perhaps Canada's two -language status is
most valuable when a bilingual Canadian travels.
For he can go scarcely anywhere without find-
ing someone who can understand him^ In the
majority of the new nations of Africa, English
or French is almost certain to be one of the
official languages. The same is true in the
nations of the former British and French emp-
ires on the other continents.
Bilingualism is our unperceived asset. We
should be enjoying our two languages instead
of squabbling over them. Rather than threaten-
ing anyone's job for not knowing one of them,
we should be devising an educational system
through which every Canadian child will learn
and love both the tongues which are his inher-
itance. (Contributed)
Taxes and the iddle class!
'Tis spring and the letters to the editor
pages bristle with missives from the middle-
class taxpayer... groaning under his burden,
At least he's making enough money to pay
taxes.
A quick look at the massive strike situation
in a province like Quebec attests to the fact
that a lot of people would like to have it so
good,
The trouble is that Mr. Middle Class aims
his volley at the wrong people. Ile moans over
supporting the economy through purchase of
houses, cars and appliances. Ile groans over
paying for university education of the poor and
the rich as well as his own children without
being eligible for education loans, Ile chafes
under the burden of supporting those who won't
work, can't work, or can't find work --and for
paying poliee and medical protection for rock
festivals.
How many rock festivals are there --and how
many people who can't or won't work? Very
few on both accounts. But both get out -of -
proportion publicity when they do occur,
Mr. Middle Class will have to get used to
subsidizing the needy and down trodden --be-
cause he could be there himself if the right
combination of unhappy circumstances turned
up.
But he should organize, hit hard, lobby and
rave against the real culprits --big corporations
and the wealthy few who evade by out -of -
country residences and smart tax dodges, He
should buttonhole his MP about sloppy govern-
ment spending.
He can also hit where it hurts by refusing
to consume houses, cars, and appliances until
those sectors ante up their fair tax share.
(contributed)
ZURICH Citizens NEWS
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WHERE CAN WE FIND
A LITERATE MAN?
For a writer, facing a dead-
line with nothin in his head but
a vacuum is about as joyous
an occasion as facing his wife
at 4 a.m., after phoning her
at 5 p.m. to tell her he's going
to have two drinits, not three
or four but two, with the boys
on the way home from work.
I hope those figures haven't
confused you, but perhaps you
get the general idea.
Sometimes, however, coin-
cidence creates a column. I
had nothing in my head for this
week's column. Not even 'fog.
Just vacuum. Good old coincid-
ence carne to the rescue.
Today I met in the halls one
of my English teachers. He's
a mature chap and pretty tough.
Been through a war and twenty-
five years of marriage, spent a
stretch as a weekly editor, and
has raised three children. How
much tougher can you get? But
he was almost in tears.
"They can't read, " he numbl-
ed brokenly; "they can't read."
I patted his back and wiped his
tears from his eyes, as we dep-
artment heads do, (though I
reserve weeping on my shoulder
for women teachers only), and
gradually found out that he was
talking about a Grade 9 class in
the four-year stream.
"There, there, " I consoled.
Letter to editor
June 3, 1972
Dear Sir;
I am writing in regards to the
recent publications made of
donations to the Retarded Work-
shop Campaign. Now I realize
there is very little interesting
news in this area to include in
the Zurich Citizens News, but
surely there could be improve-
ments made,
Perhaps there is a logical
explanation that I'm missing,
but in my opinion this is a bad
way of using up space in the
Citizens News. I realize too,
that the donors are given a
choice to remain anonymous
or to submit their names for
publication.
Ifee1 we are playing around
at the "prestige game" ---at a
very low level, of course. But
really, it is a silly and futile
game. I don't think it is neces-
sary to broadcast all over the
countryside who gave what
amount to this good cause. It's
no-one else's business to know.
I am in perfect agreement
that this is a very noble cause
and it is interesting to know
the sum total that is donated,
but the names are surely not
required.
I hope you will take this let-
ter into consideration. (even if
I am unable to type properly!)
Maybe if you enlarged this
letter a bit, it could be used to
fill up the blank space that
would be left if you removed
the list of donors.
Thanks for listening- -I'll
be waiting to see what happens!
Sincerely,
* Name on Request.
P.S. If you would publish this
letter, which I doubt, I would
prefer to be anonymous.
"Of course they can't read.
Neither, with a few exceptions,
can my Grade 13 students. Kids
aren't supposed to learn to read
any more. It might destroy their
sensitivity. Now you just go and
show them a nice little movie,
or let them express themselves
on the tape recorder. Or let
then lean out the window and
watch the cars going by and
then have them write a poem.
But don't correct the spelling in
the poem. You'll destroy their
creative spirit. Just go on back
in there and stimulate them, "
That's one thing my teachers
have to admit. When they come
to the chief, they get inspirat-
ion, motivation, and a fresh new
approach. Some of them even
say they'll try to stick it out to
the end of the term.
Well, I felt pretty good, as
we all do after giving meaning-
less advice, but that wasn't
enough to write a column about.
Got home after school, and
opened my mail. There was
a very nice letter from Margar-
et Grieve of Oakville, who
taught for 41 years, and says she
hadn't a single regret on leaving
it --The Profession, though there
were many good years and an
abundance of pleasant memories •
That cheered me up, for some
obscure reason. Maybe I'll
even stay on another year, and
collect my twelve-year pension.
which will amount to $38 a
month every second leap -year.
In the same mail was another
THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1972
letter from an old friend, with
a clipping enclosed. It was an
article by Norm Ibsen about the
rapid rise in illiteracy, or the
decline in literacy, or whatever
you want to call what's happen-
ing to our youth.
A Professor Gold, chairman
of the University of Waterloo's
English department, blames
the school system because it's
turning out students incapable
of expressing themselves, They
can't communicate. I quote
the writer of the column, Mr.
Ibsen, who says, with tongue
in cheek, "Maybe it's because
they're being taught by language
arts specialists instead of Engl-
ish teachers."
Maybe. But I take exception
to the professor's sweeping gen-
eralization about students exp-
ressing themselves. They can.
They do. Even the best and
mildest of boys have always
sworn a bit. But it shakes you
a bit to hear some sweet little
girl of sixteen drop her books
or stub her toe and launch into
a communication that would
curl the hair of a World War I
muleskinner.
However, I agree with the
professor that the whole situation
is tate fault of the schothl system.
The universities blame the high
schools, which blame the ele-
mentary schools, which blame
home environment or something.
This is patent nonsense. My
father got through Grade 4 and
wrote a beautiful copper -plate
script with intelligence. My
mother had Grade 5 and wrote
wittily and grammatically.
That was my home environment.
You can't blame the element-
ary schools. They do what they
can with what they get, in the
face of a department of educat-
ion that is about as consistent
in its aims as a dart in a wind -
(continued on page 15)
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