" November 13, 1983 Cas aE News 7,194 4.1 INCORPORATING THE MO. WEEK MIRROR puslisneDserr, 12, TWTeAUO, 27,1980 L.V, CAMPBELL — PUBLISHER AUG. 7,.1947-FEB, 15,1979" PUBLISHER — = “burt Compbell i tind ter Ha OFFICE MANA\ ADVERTISING MANADER=” reat CIRCULATION — Debra Cote: Bes. ‘osifsin « vested in ond belongs to Costle News Lid.; provided, belong to the advertiser. however, ony edvertisement prepared from repro prools, engravings, efc. provided by the advertiser shall rereoin, ca aa if Emotional issues — The walkout this week by. the ‘s 30,000 how normally calm, cojlected in: dividuals can suddenly throw common sense out the window. That's how emotional parents become when their children are involved. At seus is ine erlone of the —oat jeast that's whet os re led to believe by parents opposed to the strike and some Vancouver media. Those parents — and some school trustees — believe that the’ right to education is so vital that teachers should be forced back to work, by B.C. Supreme Court in- junctions if necessary. That kind of reaction might be more appropriate if the strike was heading into its second or third week. But parents and school trustees were clamboring for injunctions af- ter only one or two days of strike action. It should be pointed out that * neither parents or trustees were os quick to seek injunctions last year when the provincial government shortened the schoo! year by five days due to budget restraints. By the same token, it is not un- common for parents to take their “children out of school forone or two days over a long weékend for @ trip (or for as many as 10 days or two weeks in the case of parents travelling to Hawaii at Christmas). We hear no complaints about children missing valuable. educa- tional time then. - .It Is also obvious that the | heated exchanges between paren-_ ts, teachers and trustees at school" entrances need not have taken place if the provincial government had assumed Its proper role in the ‘dispute. The province is the key player In this teacher strike, not school . The provincial government has taken upon itself the respon- sibility to determine how much money local boards may spend. It. should also be responsible for - dealing with the repercussions of that decision. If the province wants the board. to be involved in the strike, then it should allow the boards full reign. " Boards hire, fire and ‘lay off teah- Boards hire, fire and lay. off teachers. If they are.to order: teachers back to work, or face the wrath of some parents and studen- ts, then they should also be given the authority to settle the strike. What a difference What a difference a yeor makes. it was only jast year that Castlegar school board and the district's 150 teachers were going at each other tooth and nail over massive teacher layoffs... _ Particularly grating to some was the fact that the board was one of the first in the province to It correctly recognizes that con- 1 and: hi better results than unilateral ac- tion no matter how well inten- tioned. It's a point well taken. The board has served notice to _-diatrict teachers_that it.will con- tinue to discuss ways to get them back to work, at least until after the weekend. By that time, if hasta lay off h in P toa U d to slash education costs. It's now a year later and the board's adroit handling of the strike this week by district teachers shows just how far it has come. Unlike some other school boar- ds which immediately filed for in- junctions to send teachers back to work, the Castlegar board has will have been out fora week, and there is the growing possibility that the strike could drag on. Should the strike continue into next week, the board has warned that it may then seek an injunction. The board's calm, common sen- se approach to the strike contrasts sharply with other boards. around the i and the should recognize that. taken a “wait. The board has learned from ex- perience that there is nothing to gain and much to lose in rushing dt to Hh educa- y should also acknowledge that the board is ina’ ‘no win" situation. It is caught between students, parents, and the p U er. in tional issues. Fred Merriman “Methinks thou doth protest too much.” May I assume for purposes of this discussion that the B.C. Teachers’ Federation aa a large majority of - in fact nment — not an easy spot to be in. are spun off while core traditional subjects will prevail. U Editor, Castlegar Ni Thave hed my fll 6 people! ‘area crabbing and complaining those The problem, I presume, is a matter”! Canada to having one of the lowest. of priorities. When Cominco or any: other large industrial complex “auto-* sAaaiee sud oliminates (60) to: 100/insn, f tonto ohare Fotis enn Marne, yo a 1s of our Pp: jeo- our: chil di and itimately their career and employ- int opportunities, no one says any-_ B.C. has gone from having one of the eat of edi in local. schools, should ‘be backing our teachers 100 per cent — they are: fighting on our childrens’ behalf. If they are willing to try and improve the situation, don’t you think , it's about time we gave them our full Must this downward trend continue without a word of complaint? . Beeaher: it’s your children and mine who will suffer if all the cuts are made, And personally, I'm not willing to ‘sacrifice their education for a everyone hears about it. If employments opportunities for sates upgrading strike action is taken and people in the community usually agree. But, when our government insidious- v ieeeee SSR eS Donations ‘needed for i e operation Editer, Castlegar News: . 1 would like to ask if anybody is wilting (o donate te Tammy Horkoft a girl who lives in Grand Fok She is the granddaughter of Bill. Podmaroff of Ootischenia. On July 18, 1981 Tammy was driving a friend home from work when they “were involved in a car accident. Although the friend was not hurt, Tammy was unfortunately seriously injured. After'a long and hard battle, doctors at Shaugheasy Hospital in Vancouver saved her life, but the accident: left her a quadrapalegic. Through friends, the family was told about a neurologist, Dr. George Yumashev of Moscow City Hospital in the USSR, who performs very rare miracles by restoring through surgery the nerves of the spinal cord. Apparently, he is the only one in the world and has had some very incredible results. Through the efforts of the USSC and the Society Rodina, Tam- my’s x-rays and medical records were forwarded < the Soviet Union for Dr. the truth is obscured because (in blunt English) any and all of us are usually about “No. 1.” this most eae step to protest what it feels is an erosion of quality edu- cation in the province of British Col- umbia? Then, may we also assume that every possible step has already been taken to document the facts and pro- Pots positive alternative suggestions through ch: in the system as presently in place? May we also assume that the majority of the teachers think of them- selves as unappreciated champions for children who will be denied what they , Teachers on the quality education are being dish to Late ths summer, the Horkoff ent. received word that Dr. Yumash- has accepted the challenge of helping Tammy. However, due to the reahingel and their Students when they do not say plainly, “I am con- cerned about my career, my income, my wife and my family.” Friend and foe alike could accept that. We could maybe even live with higher taxes to support an orderly system of attrition and gradual phasing out of services and’ support systems we can no longer . afford. lei is far too late for r my opinion that who feel so d dly for the define as quality Finally, may be conclude the subtle suggestions that textbooks are out- dated and the various emotional public meetings where ultimatums and peti- tions were incubated should suffice as general public information. Here is the sadness. Some teachers do speak for the children, and there is evidence that the major shortfalls in provincial revenues are having an unkind effect on so-called “fringe ser- vices.” It is a humah condition that usually the peripheral minority — probably at the same time as the most deserving — children, could have served them better by peacefully accepting a passive role, coping as best they could,, without polarization or abeting the fires of confrontation. It fs possible that your vocalization and highly visible polarized position will win the short term battle, but you may have lost the war. At least 50 per cent of the general public will question the objectivity of all the subjects you teach when the war is over. Your objectivity. and your credibility has suffered a major wound — “that is the unkindest cut of ail.” financial burden facing Tam- my and her family, donations are being sought, They may be forwarded to ‘the Doukhobor Restaurant acrosa* from c/o Harry N. Voy- kin, R. R. No. 1, Site 6 C7, Castlegar, B.C. VIN 8H7, or telephone 865-2625. Mike Davidoff . Castlegar _—_—_—_—=.L__ Please address all Letters to the, Editor to: The Castlegar News, P.O.' ,Box 3007, Castlegar, B.C. V1N 8H4, or deliver them to our office at: 197: Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. ——————s Letters must be signed and include the writer's full name and address. Only in very exceptional cases will letters be published without the writer's name. Nevertheless, the name, and address of the writer must be! disclosed to the editor. The Castlegar reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity, legality and grammar. sone, es ie ® opinion of some 'that and under- wérked,” teachers inthis district ‘should be commended for a “job well” done.” We, as parents of students Change punishment Editor, Castlegar News: ‘ Recently, several young people who attend a local school have ‘been: expelled for periods of up to six weeks because they were caught smoking marijuana. “balanced budget” or a “coal subsidy.” Joanne Langlois