Zurich Citizens News, 1972-10-05, Page 4,
PAGE 4
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
One million children have
learning dissabilities
a
"In biblical times they were 'left outside
the gates of the city, ' I sometimes think we
haven't progressed very much." These words
are those of a parent whose child has a learn-
ing disability.
The massive dimensions of this problem
in Canada has only been recognized in the
past few years. It is estimated that 12% of
Canada's population under 19 years of age --
or one million children and youth-- suffer
from some sort of handicap --emotional or
perceptual --which prevents them from learn-
ing in the normal way.
The failure and personal distress ahead
for these children is not inevitable. The
demands for action on this problem have be-
come louder. The professions involved have
been stimulated to search .for new ways to
help these children and their families.
It is imperative, for a start, that those
people who are most closely involved with
children --teachers, school nurses, social
workers, probation officers and family doct-
ors --be informed and included in programs of
detection, prevention, treatment and rehabil-
itation.
Children who need these programs include:
those who are neurotic, psychotic or exhibit
behaviour disorders, retarded children, child-
ren with specific learning deficits, children
with a sensory or physical handicap, those
who have been judged delinquent, those who
are culturally or emotionally deprived.
In order for these children to live normal,
rich and full lives it is important that they
not suffer isolation or segregation. Efforts
must be made to ensure their normal exper-
ience of childhood, family, school and com-
munity.
To accomplish this the child must be
viewed as a whole. In the past the child has
been seen by different professionals. Be is a
medical patient to one, a difficult student
to another, a ward of the Children's Aid to
another, or a delinquent to another. This
fragmentation leaves his need unmet. There
must also be continuity of service and care,
and help available at the earliest moment
of need. This care must be administered by
the local community but the funds necessary
and the standards to be set should rest with
the Government of Canada, and with the Prov-
incial governments.
The people of Canada must demand changes:
in policy, planning, and practice; but most of
all in attitude. A late start in these reforms
cannot be afforded. One million children
cannot be failed.
FERTILIZE LAWNS
Home owners are generally
advised not to fertilize their
lawns after July. This recom-
mendation refers primarily to
application of high nitrogen
fertilizers which can promote
very rapid growth late in the
season, says B. D. McNeill,
horticultural specialist, Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and
Food.
However, most lawns will
benefit from a fall feeding of
phosphorus and potassium. Be-
cause of their nature, these
chemicals are not leached out
of the soil over the winter. In
the spring they are readily
available to feed the lawn.
Most garden supply stores sell
a "winter -care" formulation
which is excellent for fall feed-
ing. This fertilizer contains
4% nitrogen, 11% phosphorus
and 87/o potassium, more com-
monly referred to as 4-11-8.
This provides a small amount of
nitrogen to sustain the lawn in
the fall, and the phosphorus and
potassium it needs to get off to
a good start in the spring.
ZURICH Citizens NEWS
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S
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1972
ation is wrong, and hers is
right. How's that for sheer ing-
ratitude? It's bad enough when
a stranger disputes a chap. but
when it's his own flesh and
blood --well, she's not quite,
but practically- ... I tell you,
I'm not going to take much
more of that.
At the same time, along with
this effrontery, there's another
irritant. She hasn't the
slightest scruple about picking
my barin whenever she can find
anything there to pick. And
next day tossing an idea out as
though she hadn't stolen it
twenty-four hours before.
There's one other aspect of
the situation that has me slightly
alarmed. Her earnings, while not
ample, are just enough to screw
up my income tax. At the same
time, she's spending more than
she makes on books, equipment,
and new clothes.
I wear my old gray suit five
days a week, four weeks a
month, But it seems that lady
teachers, especially in the arist-
ocratic bracket, have to wear
something different each day.
If this is an example of Wom-
en's Lib, you can tall me a male
chauvinist pig.
Now I know why the peasants
stormed the Bastille and lopped
off the noodle of Marie Antoin-
ette.
I THINK I'LL BE
A CHAUVINIST PIG
by Bill Smiley
There are teachers and there
are teachers. Most of us in the
rank and file face from 150 to
200 students every school day.
We groan about the size of our
classes, sigh over the impossib-
ility of giving personal attention
to each student, and grumble
continually about the amount of
marketing of papers that we
have to do at home.
And then, of course, there
are the aristocrats among teach-
ers. These are the people with
small classes, and not many of
them, who teach in an easy
atmosphere of freedom.
We have one of each type in
our family this fall. Your
humble servant belongs to the
great mass of slaves in the prof-
ession, reacting like Pavlovian
mice to bells, subject to the
whims of adminstration, and
bent almost double under a
continual deluge of paper work,
ninety per cent of which has
nothing to do with the learning
situation.
My wife has joined the tiny
arostocracy. Yep, she's a teach.
She has not "got a job, " as we
ordinary teachers put it. She
has "accepted a position."
It fair makes my heart bleed,
I come home about four, head
straight for the refrigerator,
hurl myself into a chair and
mutter incantations such as
"Oh, boy! Oh, boy! There must
be some other way of making a
living."
She is sitting there, cool,
unsullied, ready to regale
me with a detailed account of
her"day."
Some day! She starts at 11,20
a,m. and goes non-stop for
thirty-five minutes. She has one
class. There are five students
in it. Private school. No bells.
No hall supervision. No cafet-
eria supervision. No bus duty.
No teams to coach.
If she wants to take her class
our and sit under a tree, or
bring them to our house to list-
en to records, no problem.
If I wanted to take a class
out and sit under a tree, I'd have
to notify the Governor-General
or somebody a month ahead,
in triplicate, and then the
principal would veto the whole
thing, because it might start
a trend. Other classes would be
distracted and healous. Other
teachers might want to do the
same thing, and the whole
system would crumble overnight,
If she wants a cigarette or a
cup of coffee during her "teach-
ing day" no problem. She has
it.
If I want a cigarette some-
where about the middle of teach-
ing four straight periods and 120
students, I have two alternatives.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Over 60 relatives and friends
gathered at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. I-Ia.rold Parker recently
and surprised them on their
40th wedding anniversary. They
were recipients of many gifts.
The lunch was served from a
table centered with a three-
storey anniversary cake, candle;
in candelabra and floral ar-
rangements. Guests attended
from London, Mitchell, Goder-
ich, Grand Bend, Oakville,
Brampton, 1-Iensal], Exeter and
Stratford.
I can just go on wanting, or I
can sprint the half -block to the
men's can, making like a dys-
entry victim, swallow two drags,
choke on them, and make the
return dash to confront the next
class, red-faced and coughing .
Hardly worth it.
That's all rather hard to take.
But what really rubs salt in the
wound is the homework. She
comes home with five little
sheets of paper, and fusses over
marking them as though she has
just discovered something on
a par with the Dead Sea Scrolls.
I come home with an armful
of essays, look at her skinny
sheaf and in frustration hurl
my eight pounds of paper into
a corner. They have to be
picked up again, but it's worth
it.
Another thing that gets me:
you'd think her miserable little
band of five was the only group
of students in the country. She
can spend twenty minutes a day
on each of them, telling me
what Gordon didn't say and what
Rick said, and so on, and how
she gently led them from the
murky valleys into the sun -kiss-
ed mountains of beauty and
truth.
She thinks she's so dam'
smart that it's infuriating. For
years, I've been the savant in
the family. Poem or play, short
story or novel, my opinion was
the final one, accepted with
proper humility.
Now, she thinks my interpret -
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Monday and Wednesday
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