PAGE B2 Forty Terrace residents 1 gathered at the library of the Veritas ‘ Catholic. School last Tuesday to hear Gerry Ensing, executive Director for the ‘Federation of Independent School Associations plea for- ‘greater political invulvement- -by those concerned about the future of independant schools in British Columbia. * : The suggestion for greater a political activity at local levels , “ ' came as part of a speech Mr. “Ensing has been delivering on his annual tour of British Columbia, The lour is designed - al. ‘acquainting . interested persons , with: the aims of the. . Federation «of: Independant School. Associations and ex- a plaining progress made to date ”_ 25 toward those‘alms.: F.1,S.A..was formed in 1966 to- . : . represent .all-school systems. in a - this provinee: thal -operate an outside © the “public education : system:and ‘was foimded on the | tenet that® people should be - allowed the freedom of choice in' the education of their children. Since 1966 (he Federation has is full, legal recognition. of ‘separate schools. This includes” gecess. ‘to acereditation. for ‘fndependant.”: high{éschoo systems, access:-lo depart- . mental service in all areas, full. ’ transferability of:students and - professional status for, tedchers and “recognition -of- teaching” experience.: galned.- in’ thé. in-. deperidant: schools in’B.C.. ° ~~ The. second aim is financial assistance from’ the ‘ govern- ment in the farm of per. pupil grants, These’ would ‘come. in ; lieu’ of atléndance® ala’ public’ School and not from specifle © election'’ or. direction of taxes - “from‘segments of the population bot’: fram "Ihe “provincial ! me - Bovernements .. consolidate enue. 220. ; 7When- the \Federalion . was -formed,, Ensing told the group. “they examined (hree courses of ‘strategy to achieve (heir goals. -- ‘The’ first. two, direct con- _ frontation tactics and following - . a legal course, through. the epuris:were abandoned and the ‘third was adopted - the political “¢:Sehool trustees and senior ‘administrators from . school - sdistricis. - Ihroughout--~ the ‘province will gather in Pen- “teton May 5 for the 70th annual ‘general meeting of ihe B.0: ‘School’ Trustees Association.” “cA lotal of 52 resolutions will be debated during .the sessions ‘which will run -from Sunday May 5 to Wednestlay May 8 at. _ “he Penticton Peach’: Bowl. .~ ve .. «These resolutians cover . such 3 ~.’ items of school board concern . aS a renewal of the rale of the.. » (Commissioner of - Education; - he "request for a higher incidence of. “Superintendents; and provision : “projects. “ 4 -* One resolution calls, -for the © : “government to amend the, *Publie Schools Act 80as t6 allow ‘school boards to. renew or 7 ‘érminate ‘teacning | contracts h “every five years. : F . “LAS resolulion dealing with ment to review the. impact “of ensure . equal. local: cost. to the province. ool ~ = “Aresalution from the Greater oe ““Mictoria Schoo! Board puts forth’ vee “a Solution for sehool.“‘drop ins” Ae “who wish to return to’a formal ducation afler having left a ee none pee mend the Public Schools Act so thal‘any citizen of the province ee of charge, up (oa maximu m:of thirteen years whenever tiey wish: (o avail themselves of jelegafes: will alsa debale solutions resulting from lwo ajects undertaken by BCSTA aor. he: past. year:. . Provincial Community School ‘eam’ andthe BCSTA Cam- mittee: ov. Nutrition,” The sgocialion's- Executive has Subimilted:a. resolution calling for BCSTA to.provide'a central support. service lo school districts in, (he area ‘of com munity. school: development, including :training programs and «the ‘dissemination. -of resource materials. It has.also » * -Tproposed thal the. Associaton : > Cyrge the Minister of Educatlon ’ same basis'as other communily _~ eredits andsaan.. A filth part to | been fightitig for. two goals. One other support for.the™: provision’. ° - “and development of genuine. ~~ Meet in Penticton local: employment: of .District.4: section of topics will be covered *. / Sy property tax urges the govern-- = Hoeal property taxes levied for - 2school operations in an effort to taxpayers Wherever they live in hodlTt‘urges the' Minister to™' “piper on educational policy will may: be:provided with ‘tuition, . the | past seven years the Federation has been working towards: this end, The provess, according’ to Ensing is & slow one though. — Reception at first was cool and iLis only now, eight years later that all parties in B.C, have | specific policies. regarding independant schoa!s. Ensing then produced a: mimeographed sheet outlining the party. policies, He urged local, people to work inside the parties to try and change party Policy, to sway it toward the F.LS.A. goals. ° According to the sheet sup- plied by Ensing the ND.P. party in B.C..is:the only one that is -opposed.to the scheme outright. Policy” adopted’:-at . their. November. 1973 by the * ND.P. resolved to provide no financial’ ¥ support to. the independant schools... Other “parts: of the * “resolutions included access lo public schoo! facilities on the Gorry Ensing - Executive director for FISA ‘ wd a -. THE HERALD, TERRACE, BC. don’t watch out all schools will be ta and grounds of the independant schools nor would they sacrifice the control of . educatianal philosophy or their right to have their own cirricullum, . As to the Liberal stand-point, they favour a 60 per cent” financial arrangement. for. courses within the accepted British Columbia cirricullum. They have, according to En- sing, campaigned on this policy . in the last two provinical’ elections. . sel policy but are opposed. to public financing of the private, independant schools, =~ . Ensing then read from a series of articles . from newspapers dealing «with al-” & tacks on independant . schools .. from such people as B.C.T.A. president’ Norm. MaéFarlane.- athe ‘educational’ needs of the According to , Ensing; Mac- . i ao ‘Parlane ‘said the purpose of public’ schooling should’ be creallon of a humanistic and democratic school system for the growti and development of every child both ‘as an. in- ; dividual. and social being, Ensing said that in his view humanistic was not Christian: “and while it was fine for Mac- Farlane to hold:.these views, Ensing fell there should. be alternative educational facilities for those who do not. The Conservatives have no: There were others and Mr. Ensing answered all ‘charges _ with altacks on premises on which the. statements were’ made. eo “Whether a school _ is religiously, _ politically. or whatever inclined.’':- Ensing . said, ‘it shold have the right to.: exist as lorig:as ~it-{s fulfilling students. = ag this freedom is given any ~ ~tindesirable’ elements that develop. can be deait with through the law and through the courts.” ae Ensing also sald that in. the ~ public school systems a threat is developing from the teachers. “If we don't watch out,’ he (old the group,. ‘the whole education ‘system will be taken over by one small interest group =the teachers’’. : ~Ensing, ‘during. a. question -period that followed,’ revealed... that registration in independant schools is on the decrease down, 5,000 In ihe last eight years. | WEDNESDAY, MAY. 8, 1974 ken over by teachers”, Ensing ‘In closing Mr. Ensing urged - those. present to become in- volvad and to tet those that hold - the power of change know the Federation point of view. He urged interested.and concerned parents (o write Ictlers to editors of local papers, to their MLA’s to Premier Barrett and so on. He urged people to carry ~on-meetings with local public school Boards and to get into the political parties as ‘agents af change for- independant. school policy His closing remarks were that as lime passed he hoped he could work himself out of a job. i (Sy - “Smelling lilies;. especially ‘tiger-lilies, is believed to give’a : ‘person freckles in England and most of the United States. te groups, fair Irealment of ; in- depedant’ school students in matters of transfer, course. the same resolution stated that the provincial . government _ should; actively encourage the .- legal, moral, financial and alternative learning arrangéments ‘but - within lhe public school.system. rather . © than on én. independant ‘baals. ” Enging, commenting upen the NDP policy, said “there are people within the party that can’ “manipulate: things” . and - elaimed thal two other motions al the same conference ‘in favour af independant schools ‘were quastied in committee in -. “favour of the third and adopted... policy:resolulion.. of °F ~ The Social. Credit policy, in -- direct opposition to that of ‘W.A.C.° Bennelt,,. favours legislation -establishing legal. . and. financial support for the -. schools provided academic and - financial accountability is’ * ensured. ‘ : sas Again Ensing had: few nice - things to say about the policy, = « . stating it was a’cynical change ©... ~ ‘in attitude.” Ensing pointed out - that ‘he was: nol sure whal ~~ the Socreds had in mind ‘for |” ‘academic. and financial ac- . * countability’. but that the Federalion. would neither relinquish control of buildings ol Committee on Nutrition report are three resolutions dealing with nutrition as it relates lo ~ school children. One urges the - provincial, government. lo ¢ subsidize the sale of milk: and - ' fruit juice in schools... 7 + An Association budget’ of", $625,200, up fram $498,600for the’: - _prévious year, will be put belore the annual general meeting for. ees _approval 'by the delegates. °°. - On the afternoon of ‘Monday - May ‘6 trustees’ will have the . opportunity to study a variely of © “educational: - matters: In -workshop ‘settings. A crass- under the-headings of The-State - for schools in land development-}of '* Cemmunily. Colleges; ‘Seélecting.a Superintendent © of : Schools ‘* Implications of. .the : Teacher Education Conference; ‘The Principal ;The. School-The: _ People: Program: Budgetting; The Indian Student; and. The. Powers of the School Buard. There will also be a series’ of. mini . workshops. during . the: convention. on. “the. BCSTA Dala’ Cenire to. answer af, questions. dei¢gates-may have .. on'the aperalion of this service. Minister of Education. Eileen ! Dailly. will officially’ open’ the “convention on ‘the Sunda evening.and deliver her address during a, luncheon on Monday ““ In addition, the implieationsof the. Minister’s recen| white be discussed by. delegates | ‘Monday afternoon... > - On Tuesday May 7 convention’. delegates: will hear: addresses by Jim MacFarlan, President, the B.C, Teachers’ Federation; *: Ross Marks, President: of. the: Union of B.C. Municipalities; . William: MeKerlich; Chairman, ° of the Educational Research = -..° Institute of B.C.,’Cathy: Schoen, - President af the Home’ & Schaal. Federation;) and “d- represen-° tative of. the Canadian: School, - “Trustees Associations. 8 000°. The annual meeting of school - trustees prevides .an~ op: .portunity, for board members and . officials. to. discuss ~ problems’ which require action by the provinclal governmgnt or - _ other. bodies and to, meet. in- — * formally to’ diseuss common. “problems - and:. share. ex-' “periences with trustees; from ; “ether districts; © 0-0 / The. four-day - convention. © winds up on. Wednesday May 8, .° following lection of BCSTA- the adoption of reports. ‘yofficers for the 1074-75 lerm‘and. + ot ane “2 motorist of B.C.” vos path “This tactic isa predictable one considering the _ criticism the new plan has been receiving in the press. After all, the best defense can problem is that the only one they're offending Is you-the The Goverment plan is the ‘only plan around. 50 why. do they have to spend your premiums telling yau how good ~ has inspired: “Learning the hard way.” : a - Headline in the Vancouver Province: “Politics creating ‘chaos, Deficit predicted for ICBC." uc . . " Again-from the Province: “Thanks to Autoplan’s ‘pay wow ay walk lalcr' early warning system, insurance applicants wore faced with a costlier financing deal than they had under the ~ private system.” . ; “Whal all this monkeying wilk ihe rates will da tothe "financial soumnsiness of the earporation (ICBC) is a horrifying question.” Fram the Province. insurance vip.of” wastt't x rip-off after all?” Fike what haves Danust putap with if The right to take my - ‘business elsewhere is gone forever’: wo “+ These'comments.and hundreds of others like them are -’ a'pood indication that the people of B.C, are not'abeut to. be duped by the NDP's finger painting tactics. : ~ Insurance Companies be a strong offense. The only 4 FFom Setter in the Sun: "Could ibe that the ‘private . “Another letter. This one from the Province: “pL do not “have “For too many years the: - private insurance companys been taking the people » of B.C. fora ride.”