The Citizen, 1997-11-12, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12,1997.
Letter to the editor
MPP writes to clarify items in Bill 160
THE EDITOR,
There has been substantial
discussion with respect to Bill 160
and I believe that it is important for
a few items to be clarified.
The recommendations for this
bill were formulated by the
Education Improvement
Commission (EIC) and released in
their report "The Road Ahead". The
document is available at the
constituency office or through the
EIC, Mowat Block, 13th Floor, 900
Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario. This
commission is headed by David
Cooke, the former Minister of
Education and an NDP MPP, and
Anne Vanstone the previous
director of the Toronto board of
education.
The people of Huron County
were represented by the following
groups: Huron County Board of
Education, Huron-Perth County
RCSSB, Huron County Board of
Education - non-teaching staff,
Huron-Perth County RCSSB - non
teaching staff, Huron County Board
of Education - school council reps,
Huron-Perth County RCSSB -
school council reps, Huron County
Board of Education - teaching staff,
Becoming informed
There was a good turnout in Brussels last Thursday night for an information meeting
regarding Bill 160, sponsored by Huron County teachers. Secondary school teacher Linda
Garland was one teacher asked to share her perceptions of the changes being brought to
education as a result of government funding reductions over the years. Similar meetings
were held over the course of the teachers political protest against the province’s proposed
legislation, including one that same evening in Blyth. Helen Johns, MPP for Huron, had
been invited to attend, but was unable, the audience there was told.
Nurses unite to tell story
The Registered Nurses
Association of Ontario (RNAO)
wants to put a human face to the
impact of the rapid health care
restructuring and is asking
consumers to share their experi
ences with the provincial health
care system. RNAO is distributing
over 40,000 flyers around the
province asking the public to share
their stories, good and bad, with the
association.
"During the last six months,
RNAO has received a number of
unsolicited calls and letters from
individuals requesting our assis
tance to overcome barriers with the
health care system. We believe that
this is just the tip of the iceberg. It's
time to translate all the dry
statistics into human terms,”
explains Charlotte Noesgaard,
RNAO's president. "Nothing can
surpass the power of individual
experiences in vividly explaining
the impact of the current bottom
line mentality in health care."
RNAO has been forcefully
warning about the imminent danger
to the health care system, and the
declining standards of care. Budget
cuts and hospital closings without
appropriate investment in the
Huron-Perth County RCSSB -
teaching staff, Huron County Board
of Education - students.
The Ministry of Education used
this report to develop the first
reading of Bill 160, the Education
Quality Improvement Act.
On Oct. 30, Minister Johnson
announced a package of
government amendments to the
Education Quality Improvement
Act. These amendments were the
product of consultations heard by
the standing committee.
During public hearings, the
government was urged repeatedly
to enshrine in legislation its intent
concerning class size, instructional
time, and differentiated staffing.
There were suggestions that while
these quality measures should be
set provincially rather than remain
a by-product of collective
bargaining, the government was
giving cabinet too much power by
having the ability to set these
through regulation. Shifting these
powers from regulation to
legislation was a common theme
from many presenters to the
committee.
community threaten universal
access to services. Registered
nurses are indiscriminately
replaced by less-prepared health
care providers, and as a result, RNs
are experiencing a dramatic
decrease in the time available for
direct patient care.
As the RNAO president points
out, the impact on patient care is
quite clear as there is ample
scientific evidence that nursing care
is one of, if not the most
Group plans county network
to continue Bill 160 protest
Continued from page 6
deceived by the premier on this."
Reed went on to say that he
thinks the bill is "illegal, unlawful
and odious."
Tony McQuail, a Lucknow area
parent, reported on a parental
protest that afternoon in front of
Helen Johns office in Exeter. He
then described efforts to organize a
county-wide network to co-ordinate
opposition to Bill 160.
The meeting was then opened to
the floor and many ideas for action
were brought forward- Parents in
The government accepted this
advice. As we have always said,
while our goals of limiting class
size, increasing instructional time,
allowing our students access to
qualified individuals to
complement our teachers in the
classroom, and ending increasing
education property taxes through
legislation are firm, we are open to
suggestions on how to achieve
them. Should these amendments
pass when the committee
reconvenes for clause by clause
consideration of the Education
Quality Improvement Act, any
future changes to these quality
measures will have to undergo the
scrutiny of the legislative process,
including public consultation,
rather than the quick and easy
change possible by regulations.
Another common theme during
the consultations on this legislation
was the request for more details as
to the government's intentions. The
amendments, which was tabled
clearly states, for example, that the
average class size, in the aggregate,
shall not exceed 22 students at the
secondary level and 25 at the
significant, factors in reducing the
incidence of death and disease,
shortening the length of hospital
stay and reducing costly hospital
re-admissions.
RNAO, as the voluntary profes
sional association representing a
board network of about 14,000
registered nurses in the province, is
the strong credible voice leading
the nursing profession to influence
and promote healthy public policy.
various parts of Huron County had
already started work on three
different petitions and two letter
writing campaigns. After lengthy
discussion it was decided to push
ahead with these and meet again on
Friday. _____________________
Find out the
answers by
calling the
Heart & Stroke
Healthline at
1-800-360-1557.
e
HEART
AND STROKE
FOUNDATION
OF ONTARIO
elementary level.
The amendments also mandate
■ovincial standards in instructional
me. The amendments state that
Jementary teachers will spend at
least 1,300 minutes per week
providing instruction, and
secondary teachers will spend at
least 1,250 minutes a week
providing instruction. These figures
represent the current national
averages. This translates into no
increase in time for elementary
teachers, who are already at the
national average, and an increase
for secondary school teachers of
just under 30 minutes a day.
Further, our amendments provide
for flexibility at the board and
principal level to use their
discretion to assign less
instructional time to teachers - for
example, less experienced younger
teachers who need more time to
prepare for classes.
The issue of differentiated
staffing has been under discussion.
Our amendments, which has the
full support of the Ontario College
of Teachers, has been worded to
ensure that professionals and para
professionals are used to
complement - not replace -
certified teachers, and that they
have appropriate qualifications. It
is our hope that this amendment
will end the ongoing speculation
that it is the government's intention
to replace classroom teachers with
unqualified personnel.
I have included the 13 proposals
of the teachers union and the
government response. The
government has been very careful
to listen to all partners in
Education. The EIC report involved
much consultation and the public
hearings were listened to, and acted
upon. The government introduced
-109 amendments. I hope this will
allow parents to consider carefully
. Bill 160. The quality of education
must change as our children face
competition in the global economy.
The status quo is not an option.
Union Demands and
Government Offer
1. Only qualified teachers in
charge of classrooms.
The government has proposed
amendments, with support from the
Ontario College of Teachers, to
have other professionals
complement, not replace, work of
classroom teachers.
2. Protect secondary school
teachers' preparation time.
Government - Legislate
minimum amount of time teachers
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3. Protect elementary school
teachers' preparation time.
Government - Accepted.
4. Unions maintain right to
negotiate higher class sizes.
Government - Legislate a limit
on average class size.
5. Do not set class size and
teaching time by regulation.
Government - Accept the
teachers' recommendation and
replace regulatory power with
legislated limits on average class
size and minimum standard for
instructional time.
6. No limit on right to strike.
Government - Accepted.
7. Teachers' jobs be protected.
Government - Voluntary early
retirement incentive program
would promote employment for
younger teachers.
8. Unions maintain statutory
monopoly on representation of
teachers.
Government - Accepted.
9. Time to phase in changes
proposed in Bill 160.
Government - Accepted.
10. Seniority guaranteed during
transition.
Government - Accepted.
11. Education spending be
maintained.
Government - Education
spending has been maintained at
more than $14 billion per year
since 1995.
12. Teachers not subject to
Dispute Resolution Commission.
Government - Accepted.
13. Teachers demand quality
education reinvestment.
Government offers process to
consult with stakeholders on
qualify reinvestments.
Summary
In total, the teachers' unions have
requested that the government
respond to their concerns in several
key areas; some of which involved
numerous technical revisions to the
Education Quality Improvement
Act.
To date, the government has
accepted the union’s position on
eight areas, including technical
amendments related to collective
bargaining.
In the other areas, the
government has demonstrated
flexibility, but remains committed
to its goal of improving the quality
and accountability of Ontario's
education system.
Helen Johns, MPP Huron.
Susan Carter
Financial Consultant
406 Wallace Ave. N.
Listowel, ON N4W 1L3
Bus. (519) 291-1353
Res. (519) 347-2569