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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-05-10, Page 1212A — THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 10. 1989 Board of Education promotes rnu'Iticuifuro'Iisrn Huron County public school educators are being Challenged to make racism a thing of the past. At a multiculturalism professional development day in Exeter Friday, all 660 teachers with the Huron County Board of Education heard Lieutenant -Governor Lin- coln Alexander tell them "Whether you know it or not, or whether you like it or not, your job is to make a brighter future." "And you, you're the future," Mr. Alex- ander said, pointing out the student band that played for his arrival, "not these peo- ple," he added, gesturing to the teachers. Alexander told the educators his ex- periences growing up as a black child in the city of Toronto led him to work to promote racial harmony in his office as the Queen's representative to the Province of Ontario. "Did you know they had policies in this province where black kids couldn't go to school unless they went to a black school?" asked Mr. Alexander: "But today we have enlightened teachers, enlightened trustees and intelligent students. That's why we can have a black Lieutenant -Governor." Mr. Alexander noted that while the Huron County Board of Education recently approv- ed a racial relations policy, it now faces the task of implementing and enforcing the policy. "Don't chicken out on these young peo- ple," he told educators. "This is a historic day in the County of Huron, and I'm proud to stand here as the Queen's representative in the Province of Ontario," said Mr. Alexander. "And I hope that when you leave today you'll be more informed. The county wide professional develop- ment day on multiculturalism is the culmination of work that began two years ago. Arnold Mathers, Superintendent of Program with the HCBE, served as chair - LINCOLN ALEXANDER. the Queen's representative in Ontario, encouraged Huron county educators in their race relations initiatives at the professional development day, in Exeter Friday. He is seen here greeting Sawaran Singh. Mathematics teacher at South Huron District High School. Corbett photo. " " LIEUTENANT -GOVERNOR Lincoln Alexander was a key speaker at the multicultural Professional Development Day in Exeter this week. and told the 660 assembled educators "whether you like it or not, your job is to make a brighter future," At the PD Day the Huron county Board of Education released its new race relations policy. Cor- bett photo. Queens Investments Inc- - London presents BRAND 1 HOMES !'1 $69 ,900. and uP •3 Bedroom brick homes, built by a local, well- established Clinton builder. • 1000 square feet and up •Roughed -in basement *Gravel laneway •See our house plans, or buy the lot and we'll build to your specifications WINNIPEG ROAD GREAT LOCATION! Beside the Vanastra Recreation Centre. Close to Vanastra Public School and Conestoga College in the newly renovated area •of Vanastra. CALL NOW! ONLY 15 LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM! Call now tor complete information (after 6 p.m.) John Tate QUEENS INVESTMENTS INC LONDON (519) 681-3566 A Lawn -Lasting .Investment CAVALCADE DISPLAY - Egmondville resident James Sampa was a cavalcade partici- pant at the county -wide professional development day in Exeter Frida' Mr, Sampa displayed items from Zambia, where he was raised and educated C • pho4o Milk Producers As a result of the federal budget, Cana- dian milk producers must now assume addi- tional costs of $14 million a year. "Dairy Farmers of r . • ^ oda is extremely concerned as to the lona La 'm intent of the federal govertunen' . . in ing an effec- tive supply nu Pnt program for the dairy industry si r. John Killoran, President , ,,ugh budget for all Canadian: a.... the reductions announced will have a significant effect on dairy farmers across the country. "It is recogniz- ed that as Canadian dairy producers, we must share the burden of the debt load of this country, as well as addressing its reduc- tion so as not to encumber future genera- tions with our current fiscal policies" ex- plained Mr. Ktllorap. It must be recognized that the Canadian government made a five year commitment man of the Board's Race Relations Multicultural Committee, and says educa- tion's multicultural initiatives began in March of 1986 when the province hosted a major conference to make boards more aware of racial diversity in schools. The Ministry of Education has since encouraged school boards to make policies on race rela- tions, which the Huron board drafted last fall. Mr. Mathers sees the policy as an im- portant step. "It's a direction, a signpost. It says `here's what the Board would like to see hap- pen.' If the board says materials should be bias -free then at the school level people will look for bias free materials." Mr. Mathers says the Board thought rather than simply announcing its race rela- tions policy, it would make educators more aware of multiculturalism by implementing it in conjunction with a county -wide PD day. Included at the PD day was a cavalcade representing 24 different cultural groups. Each of the cultural displays was put on by Huron County residents who are natives of the represented countries, which ranged from German to Egyptian. In the displays there were native costumes, foods, maps, videos, samples of the written native language, and a host of other items which made the cavalcade a sort of mini expo. WORKSHOPS There were also about 15 different workshops for educators to attend in the morning and the afternoon. Measures to Prevent Discrimination, presented by Multicultural Officer Vine Chamberlain was one workshop, and it contained elements of many of the multicultural ideas educators today have. Ms. Chamberlain was a bilingual teacher in London for 15 years, and spent three years teaching English as a Second Lanuage. So she has experience as a teacher of people from other cultures. "It's a little bit scary, but we hold the key to eliminating descrimination," said Ms. Chamberlain to a roomfpl of teachers. She warned them not to underestimate the im- pact teachers can have on their impres- sionable students. She says they have been trained to, and like to think they're good at, communicating ideas or "planting seeds". She recalled one teacher she had early in life who changed her outlook and whom she still tries to emulate today. "Yes I had friends, I had parents, I had an education, but she (this teacher) knew how to plant those healthy seeds," she said. "She affected how I look at, life and how I ap- proach people from other cultures." "We can and we do have an impact. We can and we do make a difference." She says teachers will not have to add anything to their curriculum, but just add a dimension to what .they already do. At- titudes children have come from their day to day experiences. The meaning of multiculturalism she uses "means understanding and functioning in more than one cultural context. It begins in the pre- school with everyday experiences in play, language, art, music, etc. Not 'lessons about people and places' remote from the child's experience." Ms. Chamberlain recalled having seen a child in school eating rice with her hands and a bowl held close to her as is tradition in her homeland, only to have a teacher cor- rect her and give her a fork. "What a horri- ble feeling for that child to think 'my way is the wrong way and I'm going to have to change it'." Educators 'felt optimistic about the PD day and the effects it will have on the Huron County Board of Education and its students. "We hope that when we look at today from a historical perspective we can see it as both a corporate and a personal turning point," said Director of Education Bob Allan, while Board Chairman John Jewitt added: "I believe this day will help us to pay greater attention to all those citizens who make up Huron County." concer ° ed about in January 1986 to the Long Term Dairy Policy, some elements of which are now be- ing abandoned. The federal budget announc- ed the elimination of all government export assistance to dairy products of almost $7 million per year. Additionally, the govern- ment has indicated a reduction of another $7 million in the marketing and operating costs of the Canadian Dairy Commission, the federal crown corporation responsible for the administration of the national milk sup- ply management program. The transfer of these costs to Canadian milk producers creates particular hardship when combined with the recent interim GATT agreement which prevents them from recovering any increases in cost of production over the next twenty months. There should be no question that milk pro - budget cuts ducers are prepared to do their part in reducing the deficit, but they cannot accept • the incremental burden of government cost reductions if the federal government does not immediately give a clear indication that support prices for dairy products will con- tinue to reflect actual costs incurred in their production. "We recognize that the budget indicates these cuts will be discussed with the industry. Nonetheless, the dairy in- dustry cannot accommodate such substan- tial cuts within the current dairy year, due to end J.ulY 31, 1: ." said Mr. Killoran. Many questions still have to be answered, particularly regarding the operating ex- penses of the Canadian Dairy Commission which by law (CDC Act) must be covered through Parliamentary appropriation. Dairy Farmers of Canada will enter into im- mediate discussion with the federal govern- ment in order to clarify its intentions. 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