The Brussels Post, 1977-08-24, Page 16NOT JUST GOLF A good friendly game of golf'
wasn't the only attraction for Brussels and area
golfers and their friends at the first Brussels Golf
Tournament. A steak barbecue and social Mime
topped off the days activities. Here Wayne Lowe
keeps careful watch on the steaks. (Staff Photo),
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16 -THE BRUSSELS AUGUST 24, 1977
Opinion
What's right. with education?
After reporter Mike Sykes of the
Kingston Whig-Standard visited a grade 2
class in Gananoque, he wrote his account
in the, form a an open letter to Lloyd.
Dennis, director of education of the Leeds
and Grenville County Board of Education.
The following is reprinted from the
Whig-Standard,
Dear Mr. Dennis
Some seven years ago you explained
today's education after an arid school
board meeting. The discussion stuck in my
mind; how could anything as "dry" as
educational politics be as exciting as the
resulting classroom policies and practices?
Since then, howls have come from the
public. Some kids, it's claimed, cannot
read nor add nor subtract.
FrequenIty_ blame for this is heaped at
your doorst,:p, "Lloyd Dennis' educational
system is too permissive," I hear. Odd that
permissive is defined in the dictionary as
"allowing" something. It does not say
what. But popular use of the term by critics
has implied that you are directly
responsible. For everything from academic
licence to orgies in the aisles.
It remained for an editor to export, some
scribes to the foreign land of the classroom
for first-hand observation. Sorry, it's taken
seven years, but better late than never.
The three Rs are all ve and well in Helen
McCormack's grade 2 class at Linklater
Public School in Gananoque, Ontario.
Further, those six and seven-year-olds n re
learning more today than my teachers
could impart in twice as many school years.
For instance, no one told me about
geometric shape's until grade 7. These kids
know all about squares, rectangles and
such. They can read. Heavens-to-a-super-
intendent's salary , can they read!
I suspect Mr s. M 'cCormack's greatest
test is stopping her enthusiastic readers
once started,
And they can write, and write in such a
fashion that an outsider, such as your
friendly scribe, can understand.
What fascinated me most . was how
seven-year-olds grasped the abstract
concept of war, Remembrance Day and
why it's observed. Lloyd, the Legion would
have 'been proud. Parents would be proud -
I suspect, if more visited the schools and
watched.
"Kids are smarter than people give
them credit for," Mrs. McCormack told
me.
Perhaps this demonstrates my own,
ignorance of children. And ...I don't even'
like children. But like Scrooge, I must
confess a certain melting of the heart when,
a three-foot nothing moppet says: "Have a
nice lunch, sir!" No one has ever wished
that to me before.
What's so astonishing is these well-
behaved kids are carbon copies of those
squalling brats you see outside the
classroom. Surely they cannot be the same
children? In class they are cooperative,
eager and enthusiastic. This difference can
lead you. into speculation about the sorry
state of discipline in many homes. 'Yet it
seems some parents are the first to accuse
the school of permissiveness.
But I suppose, Lloyd, this is not a new
phenomenon for you.
In my day, the deity in front of the
classroom commanded respect through
terror. N of once during my day with Mrs.
M cCormack did she appear ruffled.
Discipline was m aintained.
In my day it was different ... and best
forgotten. If. the foregoing is your idea of
permissiveness, lloyd, then I'm all for it.
Those kids are learning without fear;
they seem self-confident, which • is a
ecessity for anyone to function in today's
world. The self-confidence also seems to
generate a feelirig of cooperation ,,and
consideration for other pupils.
In my day it was competition. You
competed because that led to success,
high-paying jobs and ulcers. The only
evidence I saw of competition in class
occurred at the sessions Mrs. McCormack
spent ,.with different groups..
EaCh . group of four or five worked with
the teacher while the rest of the class
worked without supervision. Yet the
teacher is only feet away at the back of the
room with the group occupying her
attention.
"Will you read first?" Mrs. McCormack
asked one pupil. '
"Aw shucks!" bleated another. (Yes,
kids still use that expression.) "I wanted to
be first."
The teacher solved the problem to
diplomacy by reviewing all the had
been read to date. Two minutes later both
pupils forgot who asked to read first and
a third was given the honour. Small points
maybe, but there was a classroom full of
kids working because they wanted to
work Not because someone told them it
was achievement contest.
The school day is unlike any in my own
experience. After a start at reading and
math the other subjects defied an easy
label. For instance, there was a program on
educational television that seemed aimed
at •teaching spell ing and word use a film
on pet care and visit to the library. There
was'a d ,iscussion about Remembrance day
highlighted by the reading of a stor y.
by Mrs McCormack.The day was not neatly
divided ' into subjects as it once was,
Instead the observer is left with the
impression of a continuous learning
process which never seems to stop.
I learned many things, Lloyd. I learned
that many parents know little about the
system that some of them love to knock, I
learned that there is a mistrust of the news
media for emphasizing only the negative
which is seized on by parents looking for a
whip with Which to flail the system.
Statistics show, 'Seat
belts are working'
Driver and passenger
fatalities continued to decline in
Ontario during the first. four
months of 1977, said Minister of
Transportation . and
Communications James Snow.
Figures released today
Walton
Visitors Iasi week at the home of
Mrs. • Charles McCutcheon
were Mrs. Olive Burdon and Mrs.
Jessie Brewer of London and Mr.
and Mrs. John Wilson of Toronto
spent part of last week -at the
same home.
On Sunday visitors were Mr.
and Mrs. N ail nipple of Listowel
and Mrs. Audrey Riley of
Wroxeter. On Monday, Mary
Beth Riley and Mrs. Audrey
Riley.
Ope
Li
ration
fe/tyle
Did you know that 12
million people in Canada
consume alcohol? Many
people drink with moder-
ation and keep their health,
but 720,000 drink in excess.
revealed that 223 people died in
Motor. vehicle crashes betWeen
January 1 and April 30 -'-against
240 through the same period in.
1976.
"It's a drop of sev,enpercent,"
said. Mr. Snow, "But I'm
convinced that if every driver and
passenger in every truck and car
in Ontario used the available seat
belts,' the decrease would have
been more significant.
Through the initial four months
of 1975—prior to the mandktory
seat belt legislation and the
lowering of highway speed limits
there were 415 drivers and
passengers killed in motor
accidents.
"Over two years, that's a sharp
drop of 46 per cent, and I believe
it proves seat belts are working,"
said Snow.
Statistically, 143 drivers and 80
passengers died in 278 accidents,
compared to 144 drivers and 96
' passengers killed in 269 collisions
in the first four months of 1977,