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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1981-03-11, Page 45lagir Se gal,W ►ii Heron County school "trustees: will change the public's attitudes towards .educe;- tion 1ti ....the county ; as they try to; curb:, , education expenses.. e ' ele tion ' from intim 'TWO d .ga.;. s the Cl ,,aria,: were'' told flatly, ';shy additional expenses incurred :bY the boardd now .would be funded 100. per . cent ' from the .,pockets: of Huron .One taxpayer from thecrowded chambers rose to 'suggest 'that instead' of deleting the machine shop courses at Central' Huron Secondary School in Clinton which were estimated to cost $50,000 ,each per annum, the' board should ;considere 'Cutting.: the ; g salaries ofteachers and. administrative staff; to , effect sufficient savings to`° find the courses. ''A,year ago I would have made the sun. kindof statement," said 'new board member Jbhn ~ ,Jewitt. "Brit when you: get involved with board business,'you can't really believe. it: A statement like 'that -is irresponsible." 'Trustee R. J. :Elliott: reminded; the audience that four years: ago, the board tried to say no to the 'teaching staff of Huron's secondary schools~, z "It was great for three or fourweeks, with. the parents of the county solidly behind the board," said Elliott, But after a while, Elliott went on, with the kids . underfoot at home and people worried about their students' futures, the board was -urged to settle the teachers'.. strike at an, .Y cost , He said the` board is feeling the effects of, that dc decision now. 'We're We're .doing the • best We can," said Elliott; What we need to do now is change e our educational attitudes," Elliott told the meeting. He said people have to .understand that over the pastY . or 10 _ 12 :ears : education has , changed "tremendously and dramatically". In the, past, students out of a high: school technical course could go directly into a decent paying job in the community. Parents and students still expect that is true. But more and more today, employers require much more specialized training than canbe achieved !through' a four year course in a high school. Students coming out of high school are discovering that to land any job at all, they must have a Grade 12 diploma. They are also; finding that to . go into on -the: job training where it is available, or to a community college for intensive technological studies, they require the, thandcommunica- tionof�mama is e h s, arts comunica- tion and scien ce to cope with the courses and: to, meet the competition in the work'force. pe •cross-sectionof "If e can�proVide a ... wp v� e good..:,,. the basic curriculum, we should be able to provide our Students with the best opportun- ity to make their choices and meet the challenges," said R. J. Elliott. Trustee Marion Zinn who had attended a conference called Learning, .:Living and Earning, said she learnedthat industry presently wants people between the ages of 25 and 40 years of age.: '• have a Youth will. always h problem getting a job," said Zinn. "We will have difficulty absorbing undergraduates into the work force." Zinn ` predicted there willbe more and more adults in school in they ears to come, and that by the year 2,000, unemployment will reach 25 per cent. She. pointed out the conference warned that , educators must be cautious about training _ for. longterm trades which will � disappear in a fast -pace changing society. How can you keep them down'. on the : farm after they've seen Paris? That's the gist : of a Huron County Board. of Education dilemma that has the potential to develop into a major con- frontation affecting hundreds of students, teachers, rate- payers, board members and administrative personnel who • The The Sepoy Town Established 1873 JOCELYN SHRIER - Publisher SHARON J. DIETZ -•Editor ANTHONY N. JOHNSTONE - Advertising and , ' General Manager PAT LIVINGSTON - Office Manager • MERLE ELLIOTT, - Typesetter JOAN HELM - Composition, Businesk and,Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822 .Mailing Address Pale Box. 400, Lucknow. NOG 2H0 Second Crass Mail Registration Number -0847 was far superior to the system their parents remember. Now simply are not communicating well enough to avoid. bitterness and misunderstanding.'. T_ o put it plainly, the: Huron`. County educational system; is in a grim financial bind. Some things have to change drastically and swiftly if ratepayers are to avoid the penalty of education tax bills in 1981 that are out Of sight in . relation to last year. Stated . another way, any extra education dollars that are spent on anything from now on will haveto be collected directly and completely from the pockets of Huron County residents. That's 100 per : cent: Ministry education grants are petering out. The thrust of, education in the public schools is changing again. There is just no, additional ministry funding for the wide variety of programs until now offered in some Huron schools. Unless curriculums are changed to meet ministry financial . guidelines and unless costs can . be contained, Huron County people are going to have to digmuch deeper than in past years for the money to -pay for : the extravagant expectations: Extravagant expections have been programmed into people over many long years . of affluence. They've . come to 'believe they are entitled to an ever expanding smorgasbord of education goodies at an ever -constant ;price. They've learned to insist on what they think are their rights without any serious long-range consid- eration of the compourded affects on the .public purse. Recent graduates have come up through a system that trees By Don Campbell Neil MacCrirntnon was constantly haunted by the memory . _. e .. P y. of the tavern keeper he had so . vi iousl assaulted and left lying. in his own blood. Most of all, the silence of the Reverend MacLeod tormented him. The minister had deliberately avoided hien, and on his first sermon after leaving Halifax had repeated the words: "Revenge is mine sayeth the Lord". He had looked searchingly at Neil, as if directing the statement to him- and him alone. • One day, both Neil and Flora were called to the captain's cabin. They found Ian Jamieson and Duncan MacLeod seated at the table awaiting their arrival: The minister remained silent but the captain smiled and his greeting was cheerful. "Ah t Mrs. Fraser and our good piper MacCrimmon. Please come and sit `with us. I think we have reached certain conclusions concerning your welfare," When they were all seated, the captain clasped his hands together and leaned 'earnestly towards thein with his elb*ws resting on the table. "Please do not be offended at what I am about to say, but do I take it that eventually you both wish to marry?" Neil was obviously embarrassednd Flora blushed ..crimson.; She took a sideways glance 'at Neil as .if giving hien the .responsibility of replying: to this delicate. • question. .9°f ; "Tis so, Sir," Neil said softly. "But only after a respectableperiod of mourningfor Mrs. Fraser's husband. Yes, we have spoken about that. Mind ye, now S C Zinn recommended .a "rigorous academic course" for students, to the end of Grade 12 This student. ;is the one who will survive," warned Zinn. `Without a Grade 12 di loam withplenty of mathe p matics science and : communicationsskills,. __. the. student doesn't have aPY era er: in our future econom . " Y "It pains us alt to think some programs have to go," said John Jewitt. "I have been critical of the high education costs in thepast and feel I cannot . backtomyratepayersp a 1 n go k . _.... and tell them that it is'going to cost them more. The total annual budget of the board of education in Huron something Hu in excess of 'S26,000,000 said Chairman Donald McDon- ald. '"Do the ratepayers understand that we only control about 15 . per ` cent of that budget?" ased Trustee Eugene Frayne. The chairman concurred that 85P er cent of the $26,000,000 spent by the , board is eaten up in fixed costs such, as salaries, maintenance, ., transportation etc. "The people are just not aware of the. obstacles this board bas to face," offered Frayne. they want their children to have something better or at least equal to what they experienced as. students. Today's pull's are quick to protest any threats to what they consider to be their rightful demands. Why not? That's what they've been taught through 'word and deed by their elders. And through it all, the Huron. County Board of Education has remained aloof and aloft. They failed to communicate to the people the dangers they saw.. They stubbornly refused to develop a, solid rapport with the people of Huron: INow when the board desperately needs the understand- ing and co-operation of the average citizen, board members are being met with bitter resistance and deep -`seated. resentment. The stage is set for even more ugliness as upcoming ministry directives threaten to take their toll on a misin- formed populace. ' Trustee Eugene Frayne lamented at Monday's board meeting that the people of. Huron County` don't understand the "obstacles" faced by today's board. How could they understand? What effort has the board, made to explain those obstacles to the people? There was some indication at ` the close of Monday's sessions that the board may now be ready to examine ways to communicate more effectively with the people of Huron County. ' It is not too late. It is never too late for some straight discussion. Let's hope someone from . the Huron County Board of Education takes the initiative to open the lines of communication before much more time has elapsed. -SJK that we are wanted by the law, it is no right to talk of marriage." " This statement seemed to satisfy the thoughts of Flora and she smiled softly and sadly at the man she would have chosen to share her life. The captain nodded in understanding and paused until he could discretely collect the words he was about to say. , "It is my advice that you marry as soon as possible, regardless of future encounters with the law. It is precisely because of that unfortunate. incident in the Southern Cross Tavern that I. counsel you to take this course of action." Neil MacCrimmon's face took on a look of puzzled bewilderment. "Fin sorry Sir: I dinna ken what you mean.." "Then perhaps. I should explain,the captain said. "It is for the tavern keeper, Red Morgan,' to prove that your attack was unprovoked. Without witnesses that would be extremely difficult to prove." "But Flora := Mrs. Fraser was there. She saw me attack the man and she wouldna lie, not even to protect me!" "" hat' is wh M youc sh should If she is your "Precisely "• "Arid tyour why wife, she cannot testify. Under British law, a woman cannot testify against ler husband. Isn't that so, Reverend?" The; minister was reluctantly forced to agree. He nodded his head and said softly. "It is so. I also have given careful thought to this matter. I cannot condone oyour impetuous actions but little can be served if either r both of you are incarcerated. I ani torn between my duty mand compassion, Therefore, I will' support the Y • captain's views and trust that the Lord will forgive me, if it is not His will." . The captainclapped his hands together with glee and rose quickly to his feet. "Then tell me, the both of you. What is it to be? Shall my ship be blessed with a marriage on .this, - my first voyage as her . master?" Neil looked at Flora and savO a light of happiness in her eyes which had been absent for, so long. "Mrs. Fraser :ti Flora., Would ye take me now and so - soon?" ' "That I would, and be very proud to have your named" Flora said softly. ; The captain was delighted. "Then it is settled. Since I have no wish to force Reverend MacLeod into a ceremony with which he does not fully agree, as master of this ship. I 'shall join you in wedlock!" Duncan MacLeod understood the captain's kindness in relieving him of the responsibility of 'performing the marriage, but herose to his feet and objected: "Let it not be said that I would not marry a man from my .own native Isle' of Skye. I am still a MacLeod. It is my duty to honour a MacCrimmon - a name which has piped my clan through the mists of history. I shall speak the words of the wedding ceremony in our Gaelic tongue, and it shall be a real Highland wedding!" He smiled at Neil. "And will you, the bridgegroom, play the pipes, so that 1 niay dance a reel with, the pretty bride?" - Neil's face showed concern, even in his nioment of joy. "I canna do that Sir," he said sadly. "In my haste to escape I left the pipes of my father back that cursed , tavern called the So 1l er Cross!"