Times-Advocate, 1979-12-12, Page 3 (2)Set minimum size of classes
for schools in Huron county
The Huron county board of
education satisfied
educational and economic
concerns Monday when it
established policy for
minimum class sizes in
county secondary schools.
Realizing that one to one
ratios between students and
teachers were educational
ideals and economic
disasters the board at-
tempted to split the dif-
ference between the two by
setting minimum class sizes
that were affordable to the
board.
In a lengthy report to the
board Director of Education
John Cochrane said that
exhaustive tests done on
class sizes in an American
university showed that as
class size decreased student
achievement climbs, par-
ticularly when class size
goes below 20 pupils.
He said the study showed
that an ideal from an
educational standpoint is a
one to one setting but added
that that is "not always
attainable."
He told the board that the
study also indicated that as
class sizes increase the
"learning process
deteriorates."
Let'em drink it,
but can't watch
The Huron county board of
education indicated Monday
it was fine for 19 year olds to
drink alcoholic beverages
but not so fine for them to
watch others drinking.
The board supported a
resolution from the Elgin
County board of education to
write a letter to Ontario's
Attorney General expressing
concern over ad-
vertisements of alcoholic
beverages on television. The
hoard would not support a
resolution from the Elgin
board to raise the legal
drinking age to 21 years of
age.
The intent of the board's
decision 19 year olds should
be able to decide for
themselves how much and
how often they wanted to
drink and there was no need
to try to make booze out to be
a fun thing.
Blyth trustee John Elliott
summed up the matter when
he told the board the people
were supposed to be adults
when they were 18 years old.
He said because of that the
legal drinking age of 19
should not be changed.
But Elliott added that
some beer commercials are
"pretty attractive jingles"
that conduce alcoholic
consumption by young
people by showing people
drinking and "having a good
time."
Elliott told the board he
could not support a
resolution suggesting the
legal drinking age be
changed but did feel a letter
to the Canadian Radio and
Television Commission
expressing concern over
beer commercials may be in
order.
Goderich trustee Dorothy
Wallace agreed with Elliott
claiming the board would be
"barking up a tree and won't
get anywhere" trying to
have the drinking age
changed.
He said his experience in
teaching involved classes so
large students were sitting
on window sills and
anywhere possible. He said
he would be the first to say
that situation was "not
acceptable educationally."
He said the problem facing
trustees was arriving at a
saw -off. Class sizes that
afforded the best possible
educational benefits while
still being affordable to
taxpayers.
He told the board efforts
had been made in recent
collective agreements
between the board and its
teachers to establish
maximum class sizes. He
said declining enrolment and
elective courses being of-
fered students now made it
necessary for the board to
set minimums.
Cochrane said a workload
committee consisting of
teachers, principals. ad-
ministrative staff and
trustees had tackled the
problem of minimum
enrolments and recom-
mended some figures for
board policy. He said the
figures were based on
economics and educational
principles.
He said under the
suggested policy . the
minimum class enrolments
for technical credits would
be 20 students, remedial
credits 20, special education
credits in academic subjects
20, while special education
credits in practical courses
would be 15 students.
He said minimum class
sizes would be 12 students for
advanced credits, 10 for
general credits, eight for
technical, remedial and
academic special education
classes and six for practical
special education classes.
The director said the
minimum class sizes would
not be adhered to at all costs
under the recommended
board policy. He said that
the workload committee had
several alternatives that
could be used if the class size
was under the minimums.
He said those alternatives
included combining two
grades into one class,
combining two classes at the
same grade level, teachers
volunteering spare time to
teach the course, a night
school course, combining the
needs of two schools to offer
the course in one of those
two, paying tuition fees to
another board offering the
course and sending students
to schools operated by that
board or having students
take ministry of education
correspondence courses.
The director pointed out
that some of the alternatives
may bring the wrath of
parents down on trustees. He
said if trustees succumbed to
that pressure and gave
parents what they wanted the
trustees should make it clear
to the parents the board
should "not receive any
nasty letters at budget
time."
He told the board the
policy was not an unwieldy
thing to work with. He said it
would encourage school
principals and teachers to
work together and "be in-
novative" with timetabling.
He added that if a student
really wanted to take a
specific course they may
have to get to another school
to get it.
"We (the board) can't tie
up a teacher for a year for
three or four students it's
just too costly," said
Cochrane.
He also warned the board
that there were some pitfalls
in the new policy. He said
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program co-ordinator Vicki Skrabek, employees Nancy Luther and Dianna Pitcher and calorie counters past -president Marie
Jacques of Huron Park Staff photo
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Separate board appoint
principal for Goderich
James McDade of Babb
Crescent, Stratford, was
appointed to the position of
principal at St. Mary's
School, Goderich, Monday
night by the Huron -Perth
County Roman Catholic
small Grade 13 classes may
be eliminated, students will
be reluctant to travel to
other schools, the
"smorgasbord" of courses
offered will have to be
drastically reduced, board
members will be subjected
to local pressures if classes
in "their school" are curr-
tailed or eliminated and a
viable Grade 13 program
may well mean changes in
transportation policy and
philosophy.
"It doesn't take too much
imagination to realize that
some Grade 13 courses and
even some classes will be
wiped out altogether,"
warned Cochrane. But he
added the policy is the first
step toward handling
problems of declining
enrolment and it "has to be
taken."
separate school board. He
has been acting principal
since November 19 and will
continue in that capacity
until his appointment
becomes effective Jan 1.
Prior to the appointment
he was a resource teacher in
the area of curriculum,
working out of the board
office in Dublin. He has his
B.A. and Master of
Education from the Ontario
Institute of Studies in
Education in Toronto.
He replaces Betty L. Clark
who had been the principal,
but had asked for
reassignment to other
duties. Her new duties will
be in the area of curriculum
development with special
emphasis on the revision and
development of a French
program for grades 4 to 8.
The standing committees
were approved and the
following will be chairmen:
Building and Property --
Mickey Vere, Stratford;
Personnel, Ron Murray,
Dublin; Transportation,
John O'Drowsky, St. Marys:
and Finance and Insurance,
Gregory Fleming, Crediton.
Ad Hoc committees were
approved with following
chairman of each: Trustee -
clergy Liaison, Arthur Haid,
RR 4, Listowel; Early school
leaving, Ronald Murray;
Teacher negotiations,
Douglas O'Reilly, Stratford;
Family Life, chairman not
named yet former St. Peters
school, Goderich Keith -
Montgomery Wingham:
Assessment, Ted Geoffrey,
Zurich: Declining
enrolment: Ronald Marcy,
Stratford, chairman.
William Kinahan,
Lucknow, will represent the
board on Huron -Perth
Tuberculosis and
respiratory diseases
association: and Dan Devlin
and Fred Bergsma both of
Stratford, on the Stratford
Public Library Board.
The board approved nine
professional development
days for the teachers, of
which five are county days
will be professional activity
days dealing with
curriculum planning.
The next meeting will be
held on January 14.
Times- Advocate, December 12, 1979
Obituaries
BARBARA SMITH
Suddenly in Hay Twp., on
Friday, December 7, 1979,
Barbara Jean Smith, in her
17th year. Beloved daughter
of William A. and Madeline
(Ryan) Smith of Zurich.
Dear sister of Ronald of
Zurich, Lawrence, Van-
couver Island, Stephen and
Richard, both at home, Mrs.
John (Diane) Wilds, Huron
Park, Carol Smith, Huron
Park. Funeral service was
held Monday from St.
Boniface Roman catholic
Church, Zurich with Rev.
Father P. Mooney of-
ficiating. Westlake Funeral
Home was in charge.
Pallbearers were Bob
Livingston, Fred Denomme,
Randy Thiel, Steve Fink-
beiner, Robert Smith and
Gerard Ducharme. Flower
bearers were Lorraine
Dietrich, Theresa Dietrich,
Cindy Thompson, Patty
Smith, Carol Fisher and
Barb Pfaff. Interment in St.
Boniface Roman Catholic
Cemetery.
FLORENCE DAYMAN
Florence May (Squire)
Dayman at the Southampton
Nursing Home, on Tuesday,
December 4, 1979. Beloved
wife of the late Joseph
Dayman, in her 89th year.
Mrs. Dayman was formerly
of Exeter and Shallow Lake.
Dear mother of Howard
Dayman of Kippenand Mrs.
Beatrice Colborne of Shallow
Lake. Sadly missed by 21
grandchildren and 16 great-
grandchildren. Predeceased
by an infant son. Harold and
five sisters: Mary Jane
Harris, Rhoda Westlake,
Harriet Oke, Annie Herd-
man, and Elsie Cann, and
three brothers: James,
George and Roland Squires.
Funeral service was held
Friday from the Hopper -
Hockey Funeral Home,
Exeter with Rev. James
Forsythe officiating.
Interment Exeter Cemetery.
EMMERSON STANLEY
Suddenly at University
Hospital on Sunday,
December 9, 1979,
Emmerson Stanley. of Lot
15, oncession 15. London
Township. Beloved husband
of Honor (Foster) Stanley.
Dear father of (Heather
Mrs. Doug Hagan of Guelph,
Bernard of Vancouver,
Wesley and David both of
London, Twp., (Debbie)
Mrs. Claire McRoberts of
Granton. Dear brother of
Wilbert Stanley of London,
Ivan Stanley of London
Township, (Marion) Mrs.
Fred Featherstone of
London Predeceased by one
brother Revington Stanley.
Also survived by five
grandchildren, in his 70th
year. Funeral service was
held Tuesday from the C.
Haskett and Son Funeral
Home, Lucan with Rev.
Keith Brown officiating.
Interment St. James
Cemetery, Clandeboye.
EDNA HODGINS
Edna Nancy. At her late
residence, 164 Ann Street,
Parkhill, on Sunday,
December 9, 1979, Edna
(Mason) Hodgins, in her 85th
year. Beloved wife of the late
Henry Hodgins, (1965). Dear
mother of Dorothy (Mrs.
Gerald Prout) Usborne
Twp , Earl, Max and Nor-
man of Stephen Twp.,
Charles, Parkhill and
Morley, McGillivray Twp.
Sister of Blanche (Mrs. Roy
Hodgins ). Stephen Twp.
Predeceased by one son,
Robert and two brothers and
four sisters. Also survived by
15 grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. The
funeral was held Tuesday
from the M. Box and Son
Funeral Home, Parkhill with
Rev. John Latham of-
ficiating. Interment Parkhill
Cemetery.
DONALD PETERSON
Donald J. Peterson, 40,
died suddenly Saturday at
his home 1706 Grace Street
Sarnia Township. Born in
Wingham he lived south of
South Huron District High
School. Survived by his wife
the former Allison Clarke, a
son David Jay at home and a
brother Jerry of Bramalea
as well as Uncles and Aunts
and the Clarke family.
Funeral was held Tuesday
from St. Luke's United
Church. Burial Grandview
Memorial Gardens.
ty
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