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The Brussels Post, 1978-04-12, Page 2Brusselo Post • ORUSSE 4S ONTAR 10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL, 12, 1978 Serving Brussels and the surrounding community: Published each Wednesday afternoon at. Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros. Publishers Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Dave Robb - Advertising Water's up Behind the scenes find it hard to have sympathy Member Canadian Community Newspdper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $9.00 a Year. Others $17.00 a Year. Single Copies 20 cents, each. A breath of relief The decision of the Huron County Board of Education to hold off a plan that would see a number of Brussels Public School students bussed to E. Wawanosh Central School let many Brussels and area people breathe a sigh of relief. Some in Brussels saw the board's proposal as the thin edge of the wedge...that could result in the whole elementary school slowly being moved out of Brussels. It happened with Brussels'- high school many years ago and it could happen again, was their reasoning. Others were concerned about children having to adjust to a new school and environment in the middle of their public schodl careers., Still others were 'worried that teacher and perhaps needed programs at BPS would be lost. These, are all legitimate concerns, ones that taxpayers and parents of school age children have every right to voice. The board is wise in its decision to review the whole county and then decide, overall, what to do about declining enrolment and over used schools in one area and emptying ones in another. We're sure all Huron taxpayers will look forward to a chance to give-their views on what the board can do at public meetings that should accompany the county-wide look at our schools. It would be just plain dumb though to think, that if the board is going to save money, as taxpayers demand, and deal with declining enrolment, some schools, someWhere, in the county are going to have to be changed. "Yes, but not our school," everyone immediately choruses. We're all rational people though and we're sure that with lots of chance for the public to give opinions and lots of information from the board about what its problems and its propo sals are, Huron can come to workable compromises that will save both money and the quality of our children's educations.: To the editor: Guides to reprint I am writing to request permission to reprint your Editorial from your March 1st edition, "Thinking day'! - in the Nov/Dec. issue of the Canadian Guider. We will be pleased to run a credit line if you so wish. I enclose a copy of a recent issue of the magazine and will look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Yours sincerely (Miss) Elizabeth McKay Editor the Canadian Guider Lodge has special guests huron District # 8 IOOF banquet held in the new Brussels Morris and Grey Community Centre At the head table at the Grand Master Perth District, District Deputy President; Daryl Burke; Bill. Burke, District Deptuy President; ' Ruby Bell, Past Saturday night were: Olga More than 200 people attended Chipchase, • Ernie Chipchase, from Huron. County, Kincardine Area Officer; Jean Bniton,' and Peterborough. Featured Rebekah Assembly President; speakers Were Jean Bolton, Art Bolton; Margery Broadfoot president of ' the Rebekah John Broadfoot, Grand Master; Assembly of Ontario and John Broadfoot of Brucefield, Grand Dave McCutcheon, District Deputy • Grand Master; Janet Master of the Grand Lodge in McCuitcheon; Doug Cantelon, Ontario. District Deputy brand Warden; The Post apologizes for the fact Irene , Cantelon; Bertha that photos taken at the dinner MacGreeor, ' District Deputy did hot turn out. [By Keith Roulston] Well sometimes you just can't win. All through this teacher strike I've been priding myself that this time I was out of the line of fire. In years past whenever there were such unpleasantries I was the editor of a newspaper and as such couldn't sit on the fence. I had to take a stand. If that stand happened to be on the side of the school board, instead of the teachers, you could expect to pay for it dearly—Teachers don't make the best enemies. Anyway this time.I. was just an ordinary citizen and I was happy in the thought that somebody else had to sit in the firing line and not me. Oh I had to write a weekly newspaper column, I had to write' many magazine articles, but these didn't have to deal with the education crisis and I was just as happy for it. But there I was the other night, minding my own business going to a farm organization meeting where I thought the most contro- versial item I was likely to get involved with was the price of hogs when suddenly I got involved in the whole teacher debate whether wanted to or not. Shirley Weary the top spokesperson for the teachers during this long affair came to the meeting to explain the teachers".side 'of the issue: (Members\of the Board had spoken to the same organization a month earlier). Anyway in the midst of her speech she decided to take out her frustrations on what . she considered poor treatment by the press in the whole issue. The only member of the press present was me. Innocent little me who hadn't made a peep throughout the whole messy affair. Well, I figured if I was going to get shot at anyway, I might as' well fire back, even if it' means I'll lose some of my friends who are either teachers or former teachers and who sympathize with the cause of the teachers.. Frankly I don't know who's been right or wrong in the whole fight. I can see how the teachers became upset when the board wanted to take away some of the things they thought they had in their contracts. After all that's not the way the whole game works. What happens is that you demand five things knowing all along you'll only get three but softening the board up for the next time out when you'll make the other two your prime targets and add on a few more things you'll do without this time but plan on getting in the next contract. That's the way things have gone with teachers always getting a little better deal each time out Suddenly to have the board making demands in return must have been a shOck. But it really comes down to a power struggle between the teachers and the board because there is no overwhelming 'right or wrong side, no hero or villain unless you're a real partisan of one or the other group. Both sides are gambling the public will back, them and make the other side' capitulate. ;1 Teachers are going to have a hard time getting sympathy from the population of Huron County at the present time. A farmer who just saw his bean crop beaten into the ground last fall or has, lost thousand's of dollars on low beef prices in the past three years isn't about to feel much pity for teachers with an average income of $23,000. Shop' owners who work 15 hour days, six or even seven days a week aren't going to sympathize with teachers claiming their work load is too high. Now I know teaching is a hard job. I wouldn't want to be a teacher, particularly of the little brats you often have to deal with in high school ( I was one myself not that many years ago). But I wouldn't want to be a farmer either, but that doesn't mean that the farmer gets $23,000 a year plus two and a half months vacation. I find it hard myself to find much sympathy with teachers when I have friends who are newspaper editors who have just as much education as teachers, work long, long hours at least 50 weeks a year, often six days a week, who have a great deal "of respi9nSibility .in keeping their paper financially sound and also do an educational job for thousands of readers every week that I think is every bit as important as any teacher's. Most of them earn about half what the average teacher earns and I don't think you average teacher would trade jobs even if the pay WAS the same. I know teachers are worried these days about job security and I sytnpathize. But I have a lot of friends who., own their own business who don't know if they'll have the business tomorrovv. I have many other friends who are actors who earn little money when they do work and are more apt to be out of work than in work and can't get unemploy- ment insurance when they don't have work. They keep at it though because they are dedicated to something they love. I don't think I'm alone in' this lack of sympathy. In fact I imagine I'm probably a lot more understanding of the plight of the teachers than many residents of the county who'd like simply to fire the whole lot and bring in some of the thousands of teachers m the province who can't find jobs. The strike may indeed be over toMOrrow, the teachers may indeed win their way but it will be against the wishes of most people in Nikon County, not with their blessing.