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Terrace Bay News, 16 Oct 1969, p. 9

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OCTOBER 16, 1969. from Portsmouth and a second did meke it out of Stonay Mountain for a time. This would seem t+- indicete that our 'school had not completely robbed ther 'oftietive. A child's interest is almost alwe'{ .pnemeral. If it is real and vital, hw will pursue it owe of school, using his structured general education to help him in his interest. Democracy is a many-meaning word, but surely few would hold that the immature child is capable of that freedom of choice thet the progressive proclaim. 5. The Avoiding of Failure This is an old Dewey notion. The shame of feilure is supposed to sear the soul of the student. He therefore gives up and quits trying. Surely if his soul sears so easily, he is most likely to fold up when 'he faces the blast furnaces of real living in a modern society. Imagine what will happe to a student who is. allowed to think he has been completely successful during his school yeer, who graduates end finds himsélf fired from six jobs within the first six months in the world of work. With no previous experience of defeat, he is a likely candidate for the jump from a high bridge. This doctrine of Dewey's of course, would put an end to practically all school athletic programmes. He tries the I00 yards and comes in last. Does this mean that we must handicap'*the start so expertly that all students end ina dead heat? In high school track and field, the one event in which I wished to excel was the pole vault. I was a failure so I turned to the sprints where I was moderately successful, I learned something, i.e, that I was not sleted to be a champion in everything that interested me. I did not expect the school to put lead boots on the champion pole veulter so"that we could both finish at the same height. If education is a preperation for living, the student should ex perience both success and failure. But enough of criticism. The modern philosophy, "If you can't boost it, don't knock it", can bring a soclety to rutin. I am critical of the Hell-Dennis Report because I think 1t is plein dangerous. If it becomes universal, there will just not be enough people to "keep the store". Most psychologists and sociologists would agree that society op- erates on the decision-making and leadership of about twenty- five per cent of the population. The ability of these people keeps the show going for us all. And I am thinking here of people all the wey from the foreman of a Hydro pole-erecting crew to the president of Ford or the Prime Minister of Canada, I want an educational system that will ensure that we will continue to have twenty-five per cent able to continue our society, not particulerly for their welfare; but rather for the welfare of those who can't or won't contribute anything more than followership. I do not believe the education, envisaged in the Report would achieve this. Therefore I feel it must not prevail. If you can guarantee the type of education that will produce this twenty-five per cent of "doers and leaders", I would be prepared to go along with a permissive, interest=motivated, pseudo~democratic type of education for the rest. Unfortunately, this kind of two- phase education is impossible for a number of reasons. There are already signs that some parents are disturbed by what' is heppening. The Globe carried a front-page artiole recent- ly on the unbelievable increase in applications for admissio to private schools.. These people are putting their money where their fear is. They are willing to pay their education taxes plus up to three hundred dollars a year so that the ghild can escape the Hall-Dennis formula. If the formula really catches on in Ontario, you younger teachers can't ' mise if you join in establishing private schools at the Grade 7 to 13 level. I re@lize that many.of you will feel that I have been too critical, too sweeping and as cuilty of propaganda and over- simplification as Hall-Dennis.. Well for you I will allow a ten per cent trade discount to fellow members of the profession. But in this dey, no quiet attempt at refutation is ever listened to. You cantt fight tigers with penknives. continued secoo TERRACE BAY NEWS MOO0000000006606060000000000006000 PAGE 9 I opened with a Mohammedan incantation. Let me close with a biblical quotation. It is from Daniel, Chapter 5, verse 25, and gives the mystical words which had appeared on the wall of Belshazzer's dining hell, 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, # Upharsin," which Daniel transleted. You will remember the © meaning he gave to the work TEKEL - Thou art weighed in the balences and art found wanting. This seems to me to be . an apt evaluation of the Report of the Hall-Denis Committee. -Octeser 1969 $.G.B. Robinson Ladies Auxiliary - continued from page 2 ...... held in the Recreation Centre large meeting room, on October 17 and 18 with an Inter. Faith Service in the High School Auditorium Sunday morning, at 11 p.m. Rev. Husser expressed thanks to the Manse Committ- ee for the Hall runner and stair carpeting. Rev. Husser also reported that the Under 21 Club for all teenagers was' very well attended on Sunday evening in the Church Hall. All under 21 are invited to join in the fun on Sunday evenings. The afternoon Auxiliary have donated a hair dryer to the Terrace Bay Private Hospital and noted they would collect new and used comic books for small children in the hospital . An excellent film Bread, Laughter and Dignity, was shown, and Marg Lundberg read an essay on What is Poverty? A discussion took place as to what the Auxiliary could do to help someone perhaps in the Lakehead area, with the help of Mrs. Chalmers, Social worker. Mrs. Chisholm served a delicious lunch. ANNOUNCEMENT! Mr. Max McNally of McNally Funeral Home in Massey, wishes to announce the purchase of the LAWRENCE FUNERAL HOME, Nipigon, and the GAWLEY FUNERAL SERVICE, SCHREIBER. The Funeral Homes will operate under the new name McNALLY FUNERAL HOME with Mr. Peter Elliott and Mr. Ken McNally, Funeral Directors in charge. The telephone numbers will remain the same as in the past. McNALLY FUNERAL HOME will strive to give personal, sincere, dignified service to the areas they serve. THE McNALLY FUNERAL HOME NIPIGON 887-2919 SCHREIBER 824-2261

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