page 2

GENERAL

the other press

October 3 1977

 

 

Truant student figured he deserved a break that day!

 

 

~ There is a full inter-library
loan system being made
available throughout the
province.

And this system will make
it possible for post secondary
students to use books, per-
iodicals, and micro film from
all universities and commu-
nity colleges in B.C.

Janice Friesen, Systems
and Circulation Librarian at
Douglas College said, ‘“We-
’re all ecstactic!”’

‘All costs for the loan
system are being paid for by
the provincial government,
except the salaries of the
staff’, Friesen told the
Other Press.

The program was funded
by two provincial grants

The cost of school
vandalism is down this yeat
by an outstanding 98 percent
according to your friend and
mine, Education Ministe
Pat McGeer.

McGeer said that last year
vandalism costs were over 12
million dollars. ‘‘The prov-
ince‘s bill this year is only
going to be about two per-
cent of what it was a year
ago, ‘he said.

According to Mcgeer, the
dramatic drop in vandalism
is linked to'a Department of
Education policy change in
February that increased the

ance policies from $1 million
to $5 million.
He refused to say exactly

ism, except to say that
security has been stepped up
in some schools.

But the real reason there

 

deductible on school's insur-'

how that eliminated vandal-'

Inter library
loans

totalling over $100,000. The
grants are the result of

recommendations from_re-

ports by the Winegard
Commission and by Basil
Stuart-Stubbs of the Univer-
sity of B.C., and Ross Carter
of Vancouver Community
College, entitled ‘‘Develop-
ing Library Service for Post-
Secondary Education in
| bers

It will take between a week
and ten days ‘to receive
library material from another
campus once the request
form is filled out. This time
period will be longer if the
material is already bein
used by another student. all
material is interchangeable
and there are no restrictions
on the amount borrowed.

- Vandalism down

has been such a huge drop in
vandalism is because there

has been practically no arson.
‘fires in schools in the past

year. °

An example can be found in
Richmond. The Richmond
shcool district budgets about
$30,000 a year for repairs
that are due to vandalism.
In 1976, a junior secondary
school in Richmond was des-
troyed by fire. The cost to
rebuild this school is costing
the district $4 million.

So, it looks like vandalism
costs in 1977 are $30,000 - a
reduction of 99 percent. As
anybody who made it to
Math 11 can see, this isn‘t
really the case. Vandalism
still costs $30,000 - a lot of

. money. ,

Once again, the statistics
have lied -- even to our
beloved Education Minister.

by Keith Baldrey

Greater Vancouver School
Board representatives say
that claims by Education
Minister Pat McGeer con-
cerning an increase in school
absenteeism are untrue.

“I don’t know where Mc-
Geeer gets his figures
from,’’ said Margaret And-
rew, chairman of the Van-
couver School Board. ‘‘There
has been no increase in
absenteeism that we know
of.”’

McGeer said last week
that secondary school absen-
teeism had ‘‘soared.’’ He
made the claim in announc-
ing a conference to consider
changes in school legislation
or organization which might
improve attendance.

The conference, to be held
next spring, will be made up
of teachers, trustees, admin-
istrators, parents and other
government ministries such
as the Labor and Human
Resources departments.

McGeer said that absen-
teeism was up dramatically
from the seven per cent
average which has prevailed
for years.

However, school repre-
sentatives in five areas say
that they are unaware of any

- such increases.

‘We run at about five per
cent (absenteeism);’’ said
Doug Weicker, superinten-
dent of New Westminster
schools. ‘‘It hasn’t changed
much over the past few
years.”” .

T.J. (Jock) Smith, chair-
man of the Surrey school
board, says that the absen-
teeism rate in Surrey is less
than the seven per cent
average. ;

“Principals are clamping
down,’’ he said. ‘‘We have
been working hand in hand
with the RCMP who have
been questioning students
loitering in public places like
shopping centers.”’

G.M. Paton, superinten-
dent of schools for Coquit-
lam, said he believes atten-
dance in the district is
slightly higher than the pro-
vincial average.

“We have not viewed
absenteeism as major prob-

lem,’’ he said. ‘‘From talk-
ing to the principals last
week there does not seem to
be any significant change. If
anything, attendance is a
little better.”’ :

So where does McGeer get
his information? Well he
conducted an informal en-
quiry of ten district schools.

McGeer said that if atten-
dance averages of recent
years prevail, between 35,
000 and 40,000 of British
Columbia’s 532,000 _ public
school students will be ab-
sent every day of this school
year. .

Why do these students
miss classes? Most have
valid excuses: sickness,
family crises. But some of
them and nobody knows how
many-do not.

McGeer believes that the
number of these ‘‘problem’’
students is increasing at an
alarming rate.

According to McGeer’s
rsandom survey, attendance
is generally lower in the
afternoon than in the morn-
ings, and is particularly low
Friday afternoon and the day
before a holiday.

The survey also shows that
attendance is better in the
higher socio-economic areas
and in the urban rather than
in the rural areas.

North Surrey vice-presi-
dent Andy Molnar disagrees
with this. ‘‘I would think our
attendance is higher than in
Vancouver,’’ he said.

Molnar doesnot believe
that there is an attendance
probem, at least not at his
school.

He said that if there is an
attendance problem with a
student, then he or the
subject teacher will contact
the student’s parents.

This method seems to
work very well, Molnar said.
“We don’t have to suspend
any students,’’ he said. ‘‘If
there is a continued problem
with the student then the
student voluntarily with-
draws.”’

Another Surrey school,
Queen Elizabeth Senior Se-
condary, does have attend-
ance problems.

According to principal
Gerry Powlick, Q.E. has had

Absenteeism Increases

to tighten up its attendance —

policy and ask its teachers to
complete monthly attend-
ance forms on each student.

Still, an average of twenty-.

five letters are sent home to
parents each week. And this
is only the beginning of the
school year. ‘‘Letters flow
out continually around
here,’’ said Powlick.

New Westminster Senior |

Secondary vice-president

Ken Jenks takes the same —

approach as Molnar conern-
ing habitual absentees.
‘‘Whether the reason for
non-attendance of students
in good health is whimsical,
or related to underlying soc-
ial problems,’ he said. ‘‘Ri-
gourous attendance policies
in a sound learning atmo-
sphere are bound to be
beneficial.”’ “
‘We have a very close
relationship with our pa-
rents,’’ he says. ‘‘The sub-
ject teachers phone home
quite a bit.’’ ;
Jenks boasts that his
school has not had to dismiss
or suspend a student “‘in
ten years.”’
But no matter what the
school trustees and _ princi-
pals say, McGeer still thinks

there is a serious attendance |
_ problem.

The final result of Mc-
Geer’s campaign against ab-
senteeism should be known
in late spring, after the
conference.

Until then, McGeer is

ordering every school to

re-examine its attendance
policies and change them if
necessary. :

But school representatives |

say that it is not necessary.
That there is no problem,
and there never was.

McGeer’s charges and
claims have made the stu-
dents, the schools, and the
educators look like they have
not been doing their job.

Whether McGeer is jus
seeking publicity or whether
there is a genuine problem
remains to be scone

Whatever the case, this
whole episode has increased
the antagonism and alienat-
ion between the minister and
the educational milieu.

 

 

Jewett seeks nomination

by Keith Baldrey

There has been mixed
reaction to Simon Fraser
University President Pauline
Jewett’s announcement last
week that she would seek
the NDP nomination for the
ee federal riding of Burna-
"On one hand, Education
Minister Pat McGeer wel-
comed her to politics and
there was tentative assuran-
ce from SFU that she could
keep her post as president if
she wins the candidacy but
loses the election.

On the other hand, ther
are signs that some NDP
members in the riding might
resent her because of what
appears to be her ‘‘opportu-

Her opponent in the nomi-
nation fight, Svend Robin-
son, has predicted that some
Burnaby NDPers would ‘‘re-
sent what might appear to be
a parachutist floating down
from the lofty heights of
Burnaby Mountain (SFU)’’.

Jewett, 54, said that her

concern over Canada’’s uni
led to the decision to seek
office. She felt that she could
do more for Canada and B.C.
if she went to Ottawa.
_ There is concern whether
Jewett, if she wins the
nomination, can continue her
job as university president
while she campaigns.

But Jewett said that she
would empaee on her own
time until the next election is
officially called, then ask for

a two-month ‘“‘political leave
of absence at no pay.”’

“I’m running federally, so
I don’t see any conflict with
my job, because education
is a provincial responsibili-

,’ she said.

“If an election is held this
spring, as I believe, then I
will have been able to com-
plete four of my five planned
years at SFU.”’

A> university policy set.

three years ago provides
leaves for etait” involved in
political ~ public service
activity. Under the policy,

Jewett can apply for a leave |

of absence without pay dur-
ing the election campaign.

: ie is getting no spec- |
ia

privileges, says the
_.. .. cont’d. on page