ce Page 4, The Herald, Tuesday, Aprit 28, 1981 TERRAC E- dally herald Published evary + at WD Kalum Street, Terrace, 8.C. by Sterling Publishers Ltd. . Authorized as second class mall. Registration Number 1201. Postage paid In cash, return postage quaranteed, Terrace: Classifieds: Kitimat: 635-6357 635-4000 632-5482 Publisher: Gary Husak Editor: Production: Brian Grega Jim Preston Staff Writers-Photographers: Mike Howlett, Becky Raglon - Advertising Sales: David Hamilton, Keith Keating Reception-Classified: Maria Taylor Ci rela tion: . John Korchinski Carol Ballantyne (Terrace) {Kitimat) . NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright in any advertisement produced and-or any editorial er photographie content published in the Herald. Reproduction is not permitted without the written permission of the Publisher. School in limbo Over 360 students at Skeena Jr. Secondary School are asking themselves this week how a principal, whom they all admire and respect, can be good for three years and then suddenly be no good. ‘ : “it’s not right they are doing this,’’ says Greg Byng, 2a Grade 10 student. The school beard has found Tom Hamakawa “less than satisfactory” and has transferred him to 4 teaching position at Thornhili Jr. Secondary School, a decision he Is In the process of appealing. What is at stake now, however, Is not. the reputation of one man, or the demand by teachers for due process in: matters like the Hamakéwa case; but the reputation of a school that has had a bad name for over 30 years and oy recently was able to look at itseif with pride. . The entire delivery of education Is threatened In the school when teachers say they are prepared fo Just do thelr [ob with minimal effort because what has “happened to. Hamakawa could happen to them. Why should they care? What rewards are there for doing a good job when the axe could ‘fall without warning? When the teachers decide there Is little reason for making an effort in the delivery of education then the students will suffer. Negative attitudes are easily created among young people; and If such attitudes are found In thelr teachers It will be easily reflected in thelr students. , It Is negative attitudes In young people that turn them sour enough to become Involved in drugs and vandalism. A society that wastes the moral values of its youth will In the end degenerate into decay. lf Hamakawa was really not administering the school In a proper manner then the parents have the right to know in what areas of their chitdren’s education the school administration has faited. . For the trustees to remain silent on this matter is a grave Injustice, regardless of the fact that for them Ht is a personnel matter. Parents are told they must become more involved In school affairs; but, tt seems, when they are forced to become involved for the sake of thelr chitdren they are told bluntly that *‘| will not answer that question.” We would suggest that the school trustees consider this In the heat of tonight's discussions at the 7:30 p.m. regular board meeting. @. Basic Personal Exemption Dependents - 7 Erbe Hose ho ae supported by your income: - about (000° - bureaucrats, ‘ . . ot i Aging a costly health factor LONDON, Ont: (CP) — Aging and the chronie illness often associated with it will be the most important and costly - health and socio-economic factors in the next century, a Canadian, rehabilitatién expert says. . Dr. Gustave Gingras, chancellor at University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, said Monday that 15 per cent of Canadians will soon be over 65 years of age and the implications of this will extend not only to medicine but also to the social, economic and environmental panorama. of Canadian society. Compulsory retirement without consideration of personal desire, health, social and economic needs, ability and pro- ductivity is gure folly, Gingras told a meeting of the London district health council, Noting that early and forced retirement often are sy- nonymous with “slow death,” he said people are still being retired from productive and at times essential jobs on the basis of age. , “Every day in this country we are adding, through forced retirement, to the numbers of handicapped persons,” said Gingras, former president of the Canadian Medical Associa- ~ Nuclear: attitudes: vary” ‘wildly. OTTAWA (CP) — Canadian attitudes toward nuclear energy are inconsistent, varying wildly with geography, a sociologist with Atomic Energy of Canada Lid. said Mon- day, ° - Maria Barrades said the latest poll, taken in November, showed the highest acceptance rating ever — 57 per cent of those asked for an opinion on the use of nuclear power to generate electricity — responded positively. ‘The question, put to 2,000 persons in a Gallup poll, yielded 4 negative response from 27 per cent, The others were unde- . cided. In November, 1979, when an inquiry into the Three Mile Island reactor accident in the United States was in the news, . 49 per cent of those polled were opposed to using nuclear’ " power, while 39 per cent were in favor. It was the first time there had ever been more negative replies’ than positive ones, “The range and diversity in this country is incredible,” said Barrallos, 37, who measures public opinions for the federal Crown corporation. In Ontario, where a third of the electritity is generatedby _ nuclear power, opinion is clearly.in support of reactors. tion and a specialist in rehabilitation. He said loneliness’ and the sense of unusefulness, and tdle- neds experienced by some elderly people are among the greatest handicaps known to man..* - Gingras said he favors the concept of retirement “a la carte” in which people who have worked under severe cir- cumstances could retire at 55 while those under less strain could continue beyond 65. . He countered the argument that allowing older viagle to continue working denies younger people the opportunity for promotion. Not only will there be fewer young people in the future, Gingras said, but there will be insufficient money “in the world’s treasuries” to assure adequate pensions to a constantly increasing number of alder people. Amore constructive attitude toward aging willbe attained only when the potential of the elderly can be demonstrated “through mass public education, said Gingras. Misconceptions, discrimination, employment restrictions - and arbitrary retirement policies must be corrected at ail cost, he said. But, in an interview, she described the attitude in British Columbia and the Maritime provinces as Jess favorable and more extreme — “It tends to be very split, very polarized.” . The western provinces, especially Saskatchewan where uranium desposits offer a bright economic ature, are | supportive, she said. “The province of Quebec is an instance where we see public opinton and the government seem to be together .., there's no commitment really, it's postponing the decision." ’ Much of the concern about nuclear power in peoples’ minds, fed by highly vocal opposition groups, is fear of.the unknown, she sald. - "They don't know it and they don’t know it because it’s very complex. It's not, on their priority lst. Canadian attitudes ‘stem Jargely from the military con- nection of nuclear energy, she sald, People will explain radi- ation in terms of an atomic bomb being dropped on Hiro- shima, rather than in terms of an x-ray. . Barrados, who said she was.a ban-the-bomb activist during her university days, said the antFnuclear groups owe much of their success to their dispersed, largely autonomous nature. . Private schools cut costs? VANCOUVER (CP) — The BC. government should en- courage students to enrol in private rather than public schools as a cost-cutting measure, says the Federation of Independent School Associations. The 109 eligible independent schools in B.C. receive no more than 30 per cent of what the goverament- spends on a student in the public system, Gerry Ensing, the federation’s executive director, said in an interview Monday. In 1961-92, independent schools will receive grants lo- talling $12.4 million plus extra funds of about $280,000 This has Jed the B.C, Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. School Trustees Association to say the independent schools are taking money from the public system. But every student leaving the public system for an in- dependent school actually takes a burden from the tax- payer, replies the Independent association. Ensing says independent schools save taxpayers more . than $50 million each year. . To be eligibte for the 30-percent grant from ‘the pravinclal government, an Independent school must meet operating, — curriculum and testing requirements and have been in exis- tence a minimum of five years. There are more than 25,000 students: in 223 independent schools in B.C., but only 109 of the schools receive govern-, ment granis — either because they have not been open long enough to be eligible or because they choose to be com- pletely independent. This year independent schools grew by four per cent, or 600 students, Ensing raid, and most came from the public system. Independent schools are funded mainly by tuition fees or contributions from individuals, a3 in the case of church schools which are assisted by congregations. The public system estimates that it costs $2,547 to educate astudent for one year, Ensing said, but independent schools ‘dothe job, in most cases, for considerably less. =. : “I¢ differs, of course, for every school and the actual cost is, very difficult to calculate," he said. ‘Inschools where there isa great deal of volunteer help and low. The CURE, SETILEMENT ® IN VANCOUVER ISA K VICTORY FoR ALL WOMEN, No LONGER WILL LABOURERS Be PAID LOTS MORE TRAN CLERKS Now) ApL Wwé HAVE To WORRY ABOUT.,. Prete MEN WANTING “OUR JOBS, VICTORIA REPORT. by FRANK HOWARD .° SKEENA MLA it isn't often that Premier Bennett makes any statement upon which | feel the need to comment, However, a recent Report from the Legistature appearing In some newspapers in _B.C. requires comment. it quotes the Premier as saying: “We. Socreds brought in. long-term care because for too long our hospital costs were accelerating by potting people into acute-care beds that could be trealed In much less expensive | long-ferm ‘care units." ‘A couple of weeks ago a young gentlernan from-Kitimat came to Victoria to enter Victoria General Hospital for surgery. The appointment for the surgery had been made some months before. When-he appeared at Victoria General he was told his surgery appointment had been cancetled. This gentleman took time off work, spent money to come to Victoria and generally incurred a lot of expenses In the process, yet no one appeared to have had the courtesy to advise him of the cancellation before he left Kitimat. There Is another aspect of this story relating - to the Premler's statement reproduced above. The gentleman from Kitimat came ta ‘my ‘office to see If | could help get him info Victoria General for surgery._| telephoned his doctor and the medical director of Victoria General, a Dr. Carlow. Dr: Carlow told mehe had to cancel a total of nine surgery appointments for that donated equipment a and supplies, the cost is often extremely same day because the. hospital’ was overcrowded and no beds were available. After further discussion he told me the reason for the overcrowding. “Dr: Carlow sald there were 75 patients in Victoria General (an acute-care hospital) who were long-term care patients and had no business being In Victoria General. However, there was no place else for-ihem to go. He told me that the same situation prevailed at Victoria‘s Jubilee Hospital. Did you know that, Mr. Premier when you said what you said? Is that the result of your long-term care program, Mr. Premier? And further, what about the situation In northwestern 8.C., 7 Terrace in particular? We had one of your people from the long-term care program come to Terrace and. argue against , keeping « skeenaview,.Ladge. Mr. Prem ; r, he argued %. diet was space-avallable in Mills-Me ork I bsbit af tan acute-care hospital). which! accommodate: long-term care patients. “He ‘argued there was space avallable in -the Kitimat Hospital (an acute-care hospital) for long-term care patients. Now, take the case of the young gentleman from Kitimat who had to come to Victoria for surgery. If we fill up our acute-care hospitals with long-term care patients how tong will it be before we start cancelling appointments In Terrace, or Smithers, or Kitimat? ‘For goodness sake, Mr. Premier, if you ‘re going to talk about .long-term care please stay. on track and talk about the reallties of It and the need to improve it. | Handicapped need help brushing Handicapped children often require special help ts master the techniques of good dental bealth.. For some, the task of handling & toothbrush can be dif- ficult, but these children need {o Learn to remove the plaque from the teeth and gums like others. - Any toothbrush used should be soft-bristled with a small ' head to reach every tooth, A flat brushing surface is also recommended, and worn brushes should be replaced regularly. Bent and frayed bristles cannot remove plaque - and can actually harm the gums. . Some handicapped children may find an electric tooth: brush easier to handle. If the child can stand or sit up, a toothbrush can be clamped to a low table or the back of a chair and the child may be able to lean over to brush his own teeth. There are many ways a regular toothbrush can be adapted for easier handling, The handle of the brush can be enlarged with a spoage, or a styrofoam or rubber ball, a bicycle handlegrip, of similar Item. The brush can be attached to the hand witha velcro bandor wide elastic. _ Lengthening the handle with a piece of wood or plastic can aif those ~ith limited shoulder movement. . Bending the brush by vigorously rubbing it after running itunder very hot tap water can also be useful. The use of dental floss is necessary to prevent decay. _ However, it is a skill that bas to be Learned and practised, . For those children who do not have the manual dexterity or who need assistance, a commercial holder can be a valuable aid. Flossing. must be done ‘carefully, making a C-shape ’ around each tooth and gently scraping the sides of each tooth. Snapping the floss canjure the gums, A dentiit can recommend: the best methods for teaching handicapped children this technique, and can suggest commercially available aids, For children unable to clean their own teeth, there are two methods to assist them. , Stand behind the child while he is seated in a chair and use your arm to hold fis head against the chair or your body. A pillow. behind his head may be used for more comfort. . For the second method, have the child sit on the floor with his back to you while you are seated it'a chair, Support his head and shoulders with your kneed Fluoridated water and the elimination of aweet anacks. _ are other methods for the prevention of tooth decay, and are ‘doubly important for the handicapped | surgery,