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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1957-07-12, Page 677, AxPosn'on, SNA.FOR, OH SCHOOL GRADS 00 PRESS CONTEST e a month remains for Technology, in Toronto, for a pub- lishing career. Ten bursaries of $500 each are being offered graduates to launch them on a training program to pre- leiml graduates to enter the 'weekly newspaper contest to 'eeeat Ryerson Institute of Jo. 0 IF ANTS ARE SUCH BUSY INSECTS* — HOW 00 THEY FIND TIME TO COME TO OUR. PICNICS? 2 CENTS A Bushel Stops Grain Insects. For A Whole Year Spray Bins with HOWARD BIN TREAT to kill in- :scots in cracks and crevices. Treat new grain with HOWARD GRAIN GUARD • POWDER Mixes easily with new grain as it is bin- ned—protects it from grain insects for a whole year without affecting milling, feed or seed value. It costs about 2c a bushel to use BIN ,TREA'T and GRAIN •GUARD—less than it does to fumigate. Order Your Coal Requirements for Summer Delivery Now ! pare for a role in the weeldy press. Contestants will write a 1.500 -word essay on "The. Weekly Newspap- per." Applications for the contest have been received from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Students will register in Print- ing Management, a course design- ed to teach students the manage- ment of the printing industry. For- mer graduates have become esti- mators, equipment salesmen, ink, paper and supply salesnlen, aesist- ants to superintendents, production controllers, at starting salaries ranging from $65 to $75 a week. At the request of weekly news- paper publishers, Ryerson has agreed to enrich this management course with such journalism sub- jects as reporting and feature writ- ing, copy editing and page layouts, editorial page work, press photo- graphy and newspaper law. With such preparation, graduates should fit into the future management of the weekly press. The bursary fund was establish- ed at Ryerson Institute of Tech- nology by All Canadian Insurance Federation. Information on the contest may be obtained from this newspaper or E. U. Schrader, di- rector of Printing Management and Journalism, Ryerson Institute of Technology. 50 Gould Street, To- ronto 2, Ontario. Ottawa was originally named By - town after Colonel By. the mili- tary engineer who built the Rideau canal. Sell that unnecessary piece of furniture through a Huron Exposi tor Classified Ad. Phone 41. B.F.Goodrich POIYIR CRP TRACTOR TIRES AS LOW AS PLUS MUM LET US QUOTE YOU ON YOUR SIZE_ Johnnie Blue John Deere Sales & Service Seaforth, Ont. - Phone 768 BFGoodrich WATERLOO CATTLE BREEDING ASSOCIATION "Where Better Bulls Are Used" July 16th, at 7:30 p.m. at our headquarters, one mile northeast of Waterloo is the time and place of our annual BULL NIGHT or OPEN HOUSE , We will be pleased to have all interested people present on this occasion. / See the bulls, barns and the head office which has recently been enlarged. There will be a parade of bulls that arrived since last year's Bull Night. Mr. Hugh Campbell, Manager Special Mer- chandizing Projects for C -I -L, will be guest speaker. Miss Gayle Atwell, R.R. No. 1, Belton, Ont., will entertain. She is an exceptionally talented singer. ' lir service to any of our bulls of all breeds, call coNctto Clinton HUI. 2.3441 7't30, and at* a.m Aifffic..61 'ok One etter 4v1ng1 . (BY Pen. Thomas, Ketnna, High School, third viceepresee dent of the Ontario Secondary •School Teachers' Federation, in the May 31 issue of The Bulletin.) There are two problems of selec- tiou plaguing our profession today, We do not select our membership, and we de not select our clientele: Considerable attentionalready has been given to the first prob- lem, and happily enough there seems to be some evidence to suggest we are better off than we have any right to expect, and that the overall average of profession- al skill still is higher than it was a generation ago. But little study beyond the grum- bling stage has been given to the other problem of selection; rather it would appear we have tripped over backward to oblige a non - selection program. In a somewhat naive manner we have hearkened too well to fad and fancy, to the extent that a strange lingo has evolved among us; things like 'the slow learner' . 'the whole child' . . . 'association with peer groups' . . . 'education for living' • . . We have accepted un- challenged• the ideas that the sec- ondary' school should admit every- one; that there is something at the secondary level for each young- ster; and we have accepted, and perhaps trespassed upon, the du- ties of home and church and com- munity. Because we are trained to teach we have tried to teach all things to all people. There are perhaps three basic assumptions underlying our On- tario system: (1) everyone can be educated, (2) education can be di- vided into units called grades, and sub -units called courses, (3) the educated -to -be can be assembled into groups of about thirty indi- viduals for purposes of expediting assumptions (1) and (2). This discussion does not pre- sume to comment too much on the last two. These were, these are, and these will remain for some time the basic axioms of mass ed- ucation. So, without pausing to argue with the outraged theorist, who is not faced with solving the problems of finance, accommoda- tion. curriculum, organization, and teacher supply, let us press on to an investigation of the assumption that everyone can be educated, and the two corollaries, everyone wants it. and everyone is willing. In the Ontario Secondary sys- tem we have been too willing to accept this assumption as purpose and we have humbly depreciated ourselves. and accepted feelings of guilt when it has been pointed out that everyone is not being educat- ed. \When are we going to talk back to Royal Commissions who state— "there can be little doubt that lack of interest in school, and the fail- ure of students to become proper- ly oriented to the learning process is closely related to the ability, vision, and attitudes of the teach- er?" Is' no authoritative body courag- eous enough to add that this same failure and lack of interest is even more closely related to. the ma- terialism of modern society, and the abdication of parents as lead- ers in the homee Now that we teachers, in seek- ing to interest and entertain and meet the needs of the whole child, have retreated from scholarship to the place where we entertain a suggestion to incorporate into the curriculum lessons on driving the family car, surely we can be brought up with a start. Have we gone as far with our clientele as with our curriculum? It would appear that there are many students (?) in the senior grades- 10, 11, 12 who have .ceased to profit from school in that they have been making no appreciable effort to achieve success in their studies. They remain at school of- ten because we refuse to recog- nize that either they have pro- gressed to their academic limit or that they lack the mental discip- line to apply themselves to their studies; and because we insist on clinging to the vain hope that one or two of them can be salvaged perhaps. We have been egotisti- cal enough to believe teachers can give these people more in school than they could Acquire in a year on the labour market. Just what is the educational du- ty of the state towards the indi- vidual who refuses to learn and profit from his opportunity? Sure- ly there is a limit beyond which the taxpayer should not be asked to go. In these days of teacher shortage is it right that teacher time and energy should be taken up by non -producers? The mere admission that teacherare as- signed to give attention to these, points out the fact that this teach- ing time could be spent to much greater advantage with students who would derive some benefit. Why are these non -producers pre- sent at school to be a reproach to the system and the teachers? Basically there are three reas- ons why students leave school. The prime one is economic. When a student feels he has reached a point when it is unprofitable, or impossible for him to continue, he stops school. This stopping' point comes to some at age 16, to othets at the Ph.D. level. In these dines scholarships and bursaries ,make it possible for more to go farther. There is not much doubt that feelv- er and fewer students of marked ability are forced - to leave school before graduation primarily to lessen the drain on the family purse. The second reason is ability. There, is no doubt that high school gradilatiOn never was designed for one hundred pe; tent of the popu- lation. Thus, when a student has reached the limit for his mental cepa-City he stops, or he stagnates, and there is no other choiee far hint, These two groups always will have eery teacher'S sUppert, patine asSittaree.and attendee, But hi .etithnSittent to be 'In, Odder's" let/0We aware of grout three, 14nriehnOtkAierepleasec, 'these o th iifr4000 10* b0PARPLO 'OltW Pkek Ingnta1.44,t,M line. If peewit systems of arnettY rating are valid it would appear that at leaet half of the secondary drop ,outs, could have finiShed grade 12 without unduly strainieg their capacities, Why are so teeny students' unwilling to make the mental effort, ,following the lineeef least resistance instead, learning to be lazy and passively resistant at school, staying there far longer than is good for themselves or their fellows, until they finally tire of doing' nothing and accept any job that will meet immediate needs. Believing that mental indolence is both communicable and a high- ly contagious disease this article is directed at the last . group-ethe mere "bodies" in our system. Once identifed, ways must be found to get rid of them. M themonths and sometimes years between the time this "deadwood" ceases to apply itself, and the actual school leaving day, the public is expect- ed to supply a we, ,equipped school and a competea.' teeff. Not only is this a total Loa, upplied facil- ities . . . there e far more dangerous and vicious factor— contamination of the good by as- sociation with the tolerated. One can. talk glibly and glitter- ingly about peer groups and asso- ciations with others from now un- til Doomsday and not progress very far beyond one inescapable social fact; when individuals fol- low their gregarious instincts, the general level of behaviour, atti- tude and progress descends well below the average. Only vigorous action of inspired leaders with vi- sion ever raises the group level. Let's face the fact that by train- ing, conditioning, environment, and the whole social situation, not merely the school—teenagers par- ticularly, have not the capabilities for this inspired leadership. Those few who try immediately become stigmatized with terms better re- presented by sound than by nouns. This is the dangerous fac- tor, But there is more. Let us re- member that transition from child- hoods to adulthood without rebel- lion after rebellion is a rare thing indeed. Rebellious people are des- perately in need of direction and reassurance and sold things to cling to. With teen-agers if this , is not given by the home and the school there stand those of the "deadwood" group. ostensibly the personification of successful rebel- lion against the personification of all authority. This factor is more than dangerous; it is vicious. For not only can the group descend under our noses to low levels, but, having so done, it will need direc- tion as urgently as before, with the wrong leaders automatically elect- ed to office by the down -grading process. Beyond the grade 10 level there are two essential requirements needed for success in school. The first is at least average ability— ability as defined by some type of intelligence test. The second- is the intestinal fortitude to stick to an unpleasant task, and keep the mind in concentration on item. and facts and thoughts and actions that are work pure and simple. Up to grade 10 either -one of these attributes will suffice most young- sters. Beyond 10 both are needed. If you have made a study of your students' achievement in school, you will be aware that the second attribute is the one most often lacking. And how have we met this lack? The student of normal intelli- gence who is a dismal failure in French is permitted to transfer to a shop course, where he 'covers himself with equal glory. The girl who drops algebra, slides behind a typewriter to have no more suc- cess with the printed 'X' than with the abstract one. All readers will be able to find exceptions of course, but excep- tions are not the things on which to base conclusions. By and large it is not usual for students of near normal intelligence or better, who fail in one subject to succeed too well in their second choice. Can it be that those who can and will, actually do succeed; and no amount of ability compensates for indolence in those who won't ex- ert themselves? Should we say to our students — get up your French and the algebra, or else stop? Here! Now! How much mental discipline do we inculcate in a student when the choice is between that which is already known to be hard work and that which is a far away green field? Should the choice have been a black and white affair, be- tween hard work or nothing? Education is a mental discipline, and discipline is a concept we democratic peoples seem determ- ined to view with alarm and suspi- cion. We try so hard and so fool- ishly to shield our children from it. Great grandfather quipped, "Spare the rod, and spoil the childr. Adjust the thought of the maxim to modern day psychologi- cal terms and what do we have? "Remove the reasonable inevit- able consequences of any undesir- able action, and you have done more damage to the individual than those inevitable consequences could ever do!' After all one can kill with kindness. If we have reasoned correctly so far we must shortly bump into the necessity of sorting out the students, separating the tares from the wheat, It is logical now to consider whether examinations , are the horrible bogey -men of educa- tion,or the sentries at the gates, who keep out those who wotild downgrade by association. Use exeminations to keep people out of school! What a furor this is going to raise! Surely now that our way of life is demanding so much more education, and so many more edueated people, we can not go back te a system which shuts Out people by using examination Mem When every phase of lite demands Mere graduates, and bet- ter graduates, dare we whittle down the ,secondary school popula- tion? But this extctv wliat we bidet do. We"."are going* lose the.'ohod. • eeeee "eee leS9 sooner .or later. At. ilrfM4 It_#ekVilOgectlemt it peifyhapPar;s:netingenaiddseieallt choice of "produce the goods?, or' forfeit the opportunity". It is high time we teachers tired of all tis scurrying around to set up things. to interest the student. Scurry lee we may, and a we have, we stilt find individuals presenting them- selves, at the school door at 9 a.zet, and honouring us with their pres- ence until mid afternoon, When are teachers' going to get up enough courage to endorse echolarship? When are we going to admit we can evaluate it? When are we going to back up those students who are trying to make progress only to find the whole school effort is slowed down to a walk by the retarding effect of loafers and uninterested bodies merely keeping warm in school? Why should those who can and will be subjected to the braking forces of those who could but won't? Democracy owes nothing - to those who will not accept their - democratic duty. Surely we are not going to remain fettered to these parasites! Toleration of the' parasite is a double crime: directly by abandon- ment of principles, it is .a crime of desertion; indirectly, by failure to hold high standaeds before oth- ers, it is false prophecy.. Without seeking to precipitate political ar- gument, we all can appreciate that basic critcism of pure socialism • . . the government is fair game for everybody . . what is every- body's job is no one's . . . what comes too easily has no value. Did you ever stop to consider that our educational system is, one of the purest forms of socialistic phil- osophy. It all comes "free," there is no means test, all are in- cluded, none are excluded, it is taken for granted. Since people insist on being peo- ple, it is necessary in every soci- alization scheme to guard against those who misuse services intend- ed for the general good. But how far have we thought through the ways and means to guard educa- tion against misuse? Secondary education will not at- tain full success in its purpose until there are some preliminary requirements for entrance, suffici- ently demanding to make parents and students aware of the neces- sity for a sustained effort; until the whip of forfeiture begins to function again; until it is general- ly acknowledged that complef n of the secondary course is a mafk of distinction not everyone can hope to wear. When this comes about, we shall have, not less, but MORE of our teen -aged citizens ready for high- er education and key positions. We shall not have whittled down the useful school population at all. Rather we shall have pruned the tree, that it might bear better fruit, more abundantly, on a small- er Went. Logani Coundil madeL;:grenta of 040 and to 141040.1:1 ARriettl- t4rP1 Sii-CW''fIP4'1101,)4 School Fair respectively at thOkr regular July Pleel140, The $275 loader of sauoucy, nute4en, for paitding,the township hall and garage was accepted. Road ageolmtLfotalling $2,976.03 and general e accounts of $1,89321 were Ordered. pad. Morris Council Moitris Township Ciruncil author- iged the horrowinge of $40_,000 to cover building costs of the new municipal bridge, at their July meeting. Three grants were awarded dis- trict fairs: Brussels Fair Board, $200; Blyth Fair Board, $7$; Bel - grave School Fair, $25: Approval was given the 1958 as- sessment roll for the township. Application by Ross Nichol for a tile drain loan was accepted The 1957 printing contract, amounting to $165, was passed for payment. Other accounts, totalling $2,- 865.90, were paid as follows: Mun- icipal World, supplies, $726; Bill Smech, fox bounty, $4; Leslie Beirnes, fox bounty, $2; Jack Clark, fox bounty, $1; Bob Higgins, fox bounty, $1; Donald Aehilles, fox bounty, $1; James Shortreed, fox bounty, $1; Town of Clinton, de- benture levy, $50.69; Thomas Mill- er, Nichol Drain, $5e. Clement Mc- Lellan, Nichol Drain, $3; James A. Howes, Murray -Lamb Dram, $1,190; Blyth Standard, advertis- ing, $1.68; Bernard Hall, compen- sation insurance, $138; relief ac- count, $15; Joseph Black, tile drain loan, $1,000.00; Clarence Martin, fenceviewer, $5; Leslie Beirnes, fenceviewer, $5; Harvey McCut- cheon, fenceviewer, $5; .D. N. Mc- Donald, supplies for shingling hall, $166.17; Clarence White, shingling hall, $49; Addison Fraser, part sal- ary, $150. "For 20 years," mused the man at the bar, "my wife and I were ecstatically happy." "Then what happened?" asked the bartender. "We met." Lakeview, tusino Grand Bend DANCING NIGHTLY Bentley - Gardiner Orchestra 001 want to, mh the season, as •year by year the tiMe seems .go, a little faster, but Solite- times, there. needsto be a. little advance geeparation. In a couple of nieotig'the'"DiiirY Queen7Y411 be chosen attheQh7g. it would be rather ince to have one of our good looking girls front" Ihiron win this .distinction. • , • Tothis end, the Mifl Producer. groups of the county are plannuiig a "Dairy princess" contest for the last week of July. The wiener of this will' represent Huron County at the CNE. A small prize will be given each county contestant, who will, be judged on appearance, personality and efficiency in the use of a Milk- ing machine. The attire is to be suitable to the job. The winner will receive $10, plus all expenses when she attends the - • , on contest. If a ntinner of', the dairy contest, she il1 receive /Pk and if "parry Qinen!,i-She Will re- ceive a mineiiatuie of $1006, phi* all expenses. Come on ,girlsi Enron CountY has the 4%144 hied ;Nifty,: to griia this hotiOr if you, "Will ',mattake part. Qoatestantsimax, he married or single; 16' to 29' years. Entry forms and further information are available at the Department of Agriculture officer -Clinton; the Federation of Agriculture office, Clinton e Si -Wu Eallahan, Bel - grave; gob Qibson, Gorrie; Ross Marshall; R.R. 1, Kirkton. Let's hear from, you soon. In closing, allow me to offer the congratulations of Huron. County Federation of Agriculture to Wil- liam Turnbull, of Brussels, on hav- ing the Canadian champion at the Brandon swine show. O.K. USED CARS 1956 MONARCH HARDTOP 2,875.00 1953 BUICK SEDAN, Automatic Transmission 1,575.00 1954 DODGE SEDAN 1,375.00 1953 FORD SEDAN 1,275.00 1949 METEOR 'SEDAN 425.00 1953 DODGE 1/2 -TON PICKUP 675.00 Many lower priced cars to choose from No Reasonable Offer Refused — at — SEAFORTH- MOTORS Chev. Olds Chev. Trucks Open evenings –1 8 to 10 Phone 541 : Seaforth hevrolet's just one ood thin after another!. Here on this page are seven of those good things — just to start with, You can actually find them by the score — all the big features of the best-selling '57 Chevrolet! And every one of them is another _clear, convincing reason why Chevrolet is so far ahead of all other cars in value, popularity, sales! TURROGLICIE—You've never felt anything like Turboglide — ABSOLUTELY NO SEN- SATION OF SHIFT! Five positions, includ- ing "Park" . . and new "Hill Retarder" for safer no -braking downhill driving! FASHION -CRAFTED INTERIORS — Rich, lustrous fabrics, beautiful modern color combinations. Chevrolet's spacious, flaw:" _ lessly appointed interiors would • do a much higher -priced ear proud 1 afro 1.t • seeiee FLIGHT PANEL — A split-second glance at Chevrolet's deep -hood- ed Command Posf panel, and you know instruments have, never, been so elegantly easy to read! ••••••• • • • : A- GENERAL MOTORS VALUE "Iltustrated -4- Ref Air 2 -Door Sedan AIR-INTAKE HEADLIGHT HOODS-,-- UP to 22% more fresh, Altered air with Chev- rolet's new ventilation air in- takes, set high' obove road fumes! You feel more alert, • more comfortable! SLYER TURECI4FIRE 2e3—Th. most hIgli.-spirited of Chevrolel'A , velvety high4omeression Turbo - Giro Val, in any of Chevrolet's TO models. Take youchoice In any of thevroliee"19 nvodels. Take your Choice of Four bdl. tient V8's of' Chevrolet's famous; fisr.eionomy Six. GLIDE -RIDE FRONT SUSPENSION Highly perfected 'Wee odion lose ead! wheel "Oars)f over the rough spots. Take any road--eill YOU feel is the superbly smooth, Chevy ride! „ (0) (0) TIRE II(IET siougee EFFICIENT ENGINES weeee • BALL RACE STEERING — Micros - smooth boll bearingdo you a • gbod turn"... ease away friclon, effort. Feels &Most like power steering t Month after month since the '57 Chevrolet was introduced. Cana., diens have bought more Chevrolets than any other car . . . positive proof Of public preference.