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The Brussels Post, 1972-04-26, Page 2Sugar and Spice by Bill Smiley Teachers are being lambasted from all quarters these days, poor things. As a species, they are practically harmless. But then is not that one of the immutable laws of our society? Attack the harmless, and tread warily with the powerful and the ruthless. According to their critics, all they are interested in is more money. This, of course, is not true of plumbers, police- men, doctors and dentists, lawyers and even Indian chiefs, garbagemen and garage operators. Sure they're interested in more money, at least enough to keep up with the galloping cost-of-living index. But it's a lie that money is all they are interested in. The great majority is interested chiefly in doing well what they are supposed to do - educate our children. And I can't blame them when they get a little sor e at the constant, usually ignorant heckling of people who don't know what it's all about. Nor can I help feeling a certain kinship when some of the more militant young teachers start talking about strikes and such. A garbageman can go on strike , a teacher can't. The logic eludes me. The whole business bothers me very little, personally. A man who has been through a war and a decade as a weekly newspaper editor has developed a pretty tough skin. But there is something a little sinister in the growing influence of politicians on education, for purely political reasons. And I feel a tremour of alarm when I see a few so-called responsible daily newspapers frothing at the mouth when the simple word ',teachers" emerges. I am grinding no axe. In fact, I don't even have a hatchet for chopping kindling. I lost it. But it appears to me that a few Machiavellian characters have put their pointed heads together and decided to destroy, deliberately, our educational system. The System, when you and I went through it dad, was far from perfect. But it needed reformation, not defamation. It required healing medicine, not mad, mas- sive surgery. The first political step toward chaos occurred when many of the local school boards throughout Canada lost their auton- omy. The Boards were made up of men and women who would bust a gut, lit- erally, to get the best possible education for their own, local kids. It was far from perfect, but it worked. Then the provincial governments de- cided this was archaic. Of course it was. So is the Bible. So is democracy. So is the conceiving of children. Next step. In Ontario, for example, county school boards were formed. Ad- ministrators were appointed who knew nothing of strictly local conditions. In many cases, not all, the school boards be- came mere rubber stamps for the adminis- trators. The latter, in turn, work hand in glove with the provincial Department of Ed. It, in turn, is responsible to the party in power. A nice little ring-a-round. So who' is running what? When this was first proposed, I prophe- sied the result; increased costs; decreased efficiency. And I take back not a word 'of it. Ask any teacher. Then the government, with pious rec- titude, after a period of spending untold millions on education, and almost suggesting that everyone who makes it in Grade I should graduate from university, takes a sidelong Wok at the taXpayers, and decides to play Jack the Giant Killer. Via spending ceilings on education. There don't seem to be any spending ceilings on health or welfare. But out of one side of its mouth, through its tame Department of Ed., government says, "Let's have more innovative, daring, relevant courses for our students."Out of the other side it says, ',Sorry, we Can't afford that . . .or that or that." Something stinks? To me it does. Oh, well, let's raise the taxes on booze and smokes and build some more highwayS and airports. tees raise tuition fees and cut down On government schol- arships, and maybe the universities won't be so crowded. And let's get out the Whips and show those ungrateful teachers where they belong - back in the cages. ISTAIRARSD 1172 Brussels Post BRUSSELS Wednesday. April 26, 1972 ONTARIO Serving Brussels and the surrounding community published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros. Publishers, Lirnited, Evelyn. Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley Advertising . Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association. Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others $5.00 a year, Single Copies 10 cents each. Second class mail Registration No. 0562, Telephone 887-6641. W.I. has anniversary In the smaller towns and villages across Ontario and in the rural areas that neighbor them, one or- ganization that immediately sug- gests community interest is the Women's Institute. In Brussels and Ethel and Belgrave and in hundreds of other centres the members of the Women's Institute for years have enjoyed the respect of their fellow citizens for the contribution they make. This year the Institute is .attract- ing particular attention because it is the 75th anniversary of its founding. During those years the .organization has grown until to- day it attracts a membership of 35,000. The anniversary has attracted comment in a number of areas such as that of the editor of the Cobourg Sentinel. Star who writes: "Strong communities have strong community voluntary organizations. If a town is healthy, its churches are thriving, its sports groups —, healthy and growing, its municipal government progressive, and usually its merchants active and prosperous. Volunteer groups in churches, service clubs, lodges and charitable organizations all make up the com- munity. In the small cities of the land, there may be dozens of organ- izations through which people can take part. "But in the tiny crossroads, there are only a few such groups. "Throughout all these changes, however, frequently the last re- maining community organization is the Women's Institute. It is the means of companionship, of looking outward, of sociability, and of community action. "In many cases, the Institute has saved the last vestiges of a com- munity in a world of superhighways, county school-boards, and 1,000- , member churches as a rapidly chang-. ing world disolves the identity of places, things and people." To the Editor Sir: My apologies for not sending my mother's renewal to The Post on time. I thought I had mailed it a month or so ago, but perhaps it was our sub- scription that I renewed. We enjoy. getting the paper so much and especially this year with the pic- tures of past residents of Brussels. We will loOk forward to getting the paper as usual for the next year. Sincerely, 307 Sarnia Rd., Jean. Smith. London, Ontario.