THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

ON EDUCATION...

ONTARIO DRAFTS BLUEPRINT TO LOOK AFTER
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS FOR THE NEXT DECADE

A special committee estab-
lished by the Ontario govern-
ment has brought down a
three-volume study with over
250 recommendations which
has been labelled by Ontario
NDP education critic Walter
Pitman, M.P.P. for Peterbor-
ough “a magnificent document
... a blueprint for the next
decade.” Mr. Pitman is pro-
fessor of history at Trent Uni-
versity and president of the
Ontario Education Associ-
ation.

Labour Representative

The Committee on Aims
and Objectives of Education
was under the co-chairman-
ship of Mr. Justice E. M. Hall
and Mr. L. A. Dennis. Lone
trade union representative on
the 21-member task force was
Mike Fenwick, Vice-Presi-
dent of the Ontario Federation
of Labour and assistant to the
Director of Steelworkers Dis-
trict 6.

The report of the Hall-Den-
nis Committee, called “Living
and Learning” states that, in
a new age, “the right to
equality of opportunity for
every individual is prerequi-

- site to the grand design of
education.”

“It is a revolutionary docu-
ment,” said Mr. Pitman, “It
creates an educational system
which no longer relates to our
competitive system. Examina-
tions are to disapper in those
courses which do not prepare
students for university
studies.

“The Report offers exciting
programs involving subjects
like philosophy and sociology
which at present are not a
part of the educational pro-
grams. It will prepare young
people as human beings, not

as economic factors. It should:

produce sensitive, aware, curi-
ous adults, Skill training for
specific occupations are to be
removed.”

Equal Access

Basic to the document is its
direction to those who guide
education in the province to
“establish as fundamental
principles governing school
education in Ontario, (a) the
right of every individual to
have equal access to learning
experience best suited to his
needs, and (b) the responsi-
bility of every school author-
ity to provide a child-centred
learning continuum that in-
vites learning by individual
discovery and enquiry.”

Fundamental to the mes-
sage which underlines the en-
tire report is the statement,
“The underlying aim of edu-
cation is to further man’s un-
ending search for truth. Once
he possesses the means to
truth, all else is within his
grasp. Wisdom and _ under-
standing, sensitivity, compas-
sion and responsibility, as
well as intellectual honesty

throughout the report. The
proposals in the main are:

© The Learning Experience
Be Continuous — an unend-
ing voyage of discovery. It
should be provided in the
school program that consists
of kindergarten and twelve
additional years (abolishing
Grade 13) that are unbroken
by lock-step systems of or-
ganization or division and
which is designed to minimize
failure and drastically reduce
the number of drop-outs.

e The Learning Program
Reflect A Concern for the in-
dividual needs and aspirations
of pupils as human beings. It
should be comprehensive in
nature, leaving specific job
training to post-school insti-
tutions while placing a new
emphasis upon health and
emotional needs, the develop-
ment of skills in communica-
tions, critical thought and
value judgment, and upon the
search for fulfilment in the
arts and in leisure and recre-
ation of all encompassed in
the realm of discovery and ex-
perimentation.

e An Open Door Policy Be
Maintained at the Community
College level, where a great
diversity of training courses,
vocational and otherwise,
should be provided for young
people and adults who wish
to pursue this avenue of learn-
ing.

© The Schools In Ontario
Foster a healthy patriotism
and pride in Canada and in
the history of its founding
peoples, its original inhabit-
ants and in those who have
come to live here, as well as
pride in Canada as a country
committed to peace and to the
assistance of the newly de-
veloping nations,

e The Climate For Learn-
ing be one that favours re-
sponsible behaviour in an_
atmosphere of warmth, co-
operation, and noble purpose,
the aim being education for
responsible adulthood. This
will eliminate the use of cor-
poral punishment and other
degrading forms of discipline.

e A Reappraisal Be Made
of the unrelated use and em-
phasis on repetitive home-
work assignments by one or
more teachers.

© The Learning Experience
Extend beyond the resources
of the school to tap the avail-
able and now unused services
of many skilled in the arts
and other fields, and to ex-
plore the province and its
institutions through tours and
excursions.

© Schools and Teachers Be
Given Greater Freedom and
responsibility in the detailed
design and implementation of
learning programs.

e Emphasis Be Placed on
instruction in conversational
French for English-speaking
students and in English for
children who are French-
speaking, this program to be-
gin in the first year of school-
ing, the aim being to ensure
that all students and ultimate-
ly all adults in Ontario shall
be able to communicate freely
with one another in both
» in keeping with

this aspect of the recom-
mendations of the Royal Com-
mission on Bilingualism and
Biculturalism.

e A Re-Evaluation Of All
Special Education, i.e. blind,
deaf, retarded, crippled, etc.
be undertaken in which spe-
cial education should be con-
sidered an integral part of the
total school program, the pro-
vision of such services should
be generally the responsibility
of school boards. All schools
for special education should
be funded by the Department
of Education and open to
every child with handicaps or
disabilities. Administration of

- such boards to be entrusted

to one local or regional board
for the benefit of all.

ec A Central Registry Be
Maintained of all children in
the ‘province who have dis-
abilities.

© Every Child Be Given a
complete medical examination
upon school entry and peri-
odic examinations thereafter.
The full program of health
services should include the
optical and children’s dental
programs recommended by
the Royal Commission on
Health Services.

e Preschool Programs Be
Encouraged throughout the
province. Preschool and play-
ground accommodation to be
mandatory requirements in all
new high density housing pro-
jects as a condition of per-
mitting the development.

° Special Attention Be
Given to the needs of New
Canadian children and their
parents, particularly with re-
gard to language and integra-
tion in the Canadian com-
munity. .

© All Indian Education Be
Placed under provincial ad-
ministration but at federal ex-
pense, making it possible for
Indians to become self-sup-
porting, participating citizens
in society identified as a valid
and proud cultural entity
within the fabric of the Cana-
dian community.

e The Teaching Profession
Be Established as a university
function by 1972, meanwhile
implementing with all pos-
sible speed the basic recom-
mendations of the ‘Report of
the Minister’s Committee on
the Training of Elementary
School Teachers.’

© The Department of Edu-
cation Be Reorganized, per-
mitting it to withdraw from
operational functions, decen-
tralize its forces, and assume

policy formation as its major
responsibility.

© School Boards Should Be
Largely Autonomous in im-
plementing the policies of the
Department of Education, free
to establish programs accord-
ing to their needs, and to or-
ganize the school attendance
period within a prescribed
number of days.

e An Autonomous, Non-
Political Advisory Council Be
Established representative of
public and professional inter-
ests reporting through the
Minister of Education to the
Legislature.

© An Ombudsman in Edu-

cation Be Appointed to safe-
guard the rights and protect
the interests of the individual
child at all levels of education.

© A Greater Emphasis Be
Given to counselling in the
schools.

© Research Activities of
various magnitude among the
different educational bodies
be encouraged, including the
Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education, faculties of edu-
cation, the Department of
Education, school boards, and
schools.

© School Design Must Re-
flect and Provide for the ad-
vances of modern technology
and the needs of the learner,
creating schools whose flexi-
bility is sensitive to the learn-
ing process and economic re-
sponsibility.

© Maximum Involvement of
Local Interest and ability in
educational television be en-
couraged through the forma-
tion of an Educational Tele-
vision Council representative
of the various responsible
authorities, professionals, and
groups related to educational
practice to ensure that ETV
will accomplish the maximum

positive potential of which it
is capable.

© Legislation Be Enacted
which will bring the public
and separate school systems
into administrative co-opera-
tion, preserving what is con-
sidered by the separate school
supporters as essential to their
system and at the same time
making possible a great deal
of co-operation and sharing of
special services, avoiding du-
plication in many areas and
services, and bringing to an
end a controversy that has
burdened the administration

of education in Ontario since
Confederation. Developing
patterns of co-operation be-
tween separate school boards
and boards of education in
the areas of transportation,
school sites, health services,
counselling services, computer
services, in-service education,
special education, and joint
projects where such co-opera-
tion will reduce costs and re-
organizational impediments to
equality of opportunity.

e A Gradual Phasing-out of
university and community
college tuition -fees should
take place, beginning in 1970
with the first year.

e In Keeping With the Im-
plications of This Report, a
select committee of the Legis-
lature should study the posi-
tion of all private schools in
Ontario in relation to giving
these schools such financial
and other assistance as may
be consistent with the aims of
public education in Ontario as
the province moves more and
more towards involvements in.

the pluralistic society of the
future.

© Means Be Sought through
the Council of Ministers of
Education whereby federal
monies can be distributed to
the provinces for educational
purposes without infringing
upon their rights in matters
of education.

© Since the Financial Bur-
den Imposed by education
upon home owners is reaching
unbearable proportions, new
sources of revenue should be
sought which will eliminate
the residential property school
tax, ensuring quality and

equality in education through-

out the province while pre-
serving local autonomy.

20.7 MILLION CANADIANS

Canada’s population at April 1, 1968 was estimated at .
20.7 million. The figures by province were:

7,283,000
5,923,000
2,002,000
1,520,000

Nova Scotia -
New Brunswick
Newfoundland
PELL. %
NWT se
Yukon \ .«