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WHIBY REEPRESS. WEDNESDAY, J ULY 8, 198 1, PAGE 3 Buchanan says . 0 0. Grade 13 shouldn't be dropped By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff There 15 one Whitby bcerd of education trustee who has his doubts about the proposed dropping of grade 13. John Buchanan, one of the, town's two representatives on the Durham Board of Education, expressed his doubta in an inter- view last week. "We shouldn't be dolng it at the moment," Buchanan says. "I have great diff iculty in having 16 or 17 year old children going off to university by them- selves." The trustee's op- position to the plan is based on the fact that high school students would be entering university or com- munity earlier. Post- secondary education is conducted without the amount of supervision given in the sehool system. Buchanan, who is also a niember of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force, says that many post-secondary students have probiems with drugs and alcohol. Another problem that the trustee sees is that while the proposai suggests that the in- struction time be con- densed into a 12 year period, the Ministry of Education is also en- couraging that inLstruc- tion for rnany subjets be lengthened. As an example, Buchanan points to the suggestion that French language instruction time be doubled fromn 600 to 1,200 hours over the students school career. "'There are 12 dif- ferent areas for more instruction," he said. One way to get around the problem, while dropping grade 13, Buchanan suggests is to lengthen the school day which he admits is an idea that has flot received any study. The rookie trustee also points out that if the grade was dropped, the public school system would lose the federal grants used to fund the university preparation courses. That grant is administered by the provincial education ministry. Another problem, Buchanan says, is that many of the university preparation courses such as calculus, would also be dropped with grade 13. Courses such as these are deisgned to aid those students preparing to enter university and If they were dropped, he doesn't know how the student would pick themn Up. Howeve.r, Buchanan's concerns stili corne back to the age at which these children would be entering university. Speaking as a parent, he sald, "the difficulty 1... .do I let go com- pletely at this age?"1 The trustee has no doubts as to whether they can handie the education but doubts whether they can handie the environment. "They may be mature enough for the education but are they mature enough to han- die the aduit situation without the aduit super- vision?" 'l have some doubts that they are."1 He also clairns that high school students he has spoken with don't want to lose the extra year of instruction. "'The students Ive talked to want to keep grade 13," Buchanan dlaims. He also points out that dropping grade 13 would mean the student would have to spend more time doing such things as honiework and would be unable to take on part- timne jobs - jobs which their parents encourage their children to do. "A lot of parents are saying that my child has got to learn to work, " he said adding that the dropping of the grade could mean trustees will get more flack. fromn parents. The suggestion to drop grade 13 was part of a set of recommen- dations in a report prepared for the Ministry of Education. However, before the ministry acts on the report, it lias asked for the input of the various boards of education throughout the provin- ce. The Durham board recently saîd that they "concurred in general"' with the findings of that report, Buchanan said. "I have some big qualms with that (report) on a social basis, " he added. IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENTI 1. COIU tue POIICO. (Dont admit Iiability; let the police decide) 2. Cali your nsurance agent. (Explain the problemn.) 3. CaUl Home. (You'Il be at Ieast one hour late.) 4. Cali OSHAWA CAR CARE LTD. (Its your choice where your car is repaired.) We have the most up f0 date equipment fo repair any car on the road today. We guarantee satisfaction. NEW CAR RENTAIS only $5.00 per day - no mileage. 660 Drake St. Oshawa & 576-1019 Our i Oth birthday Michael 1. Burgess, publisher and managing editor of the Whitby Free Press and Marjorie Burgess, advertising sales manager are seen cutting the cake in celebration of the newspaper's tenth anniversary of publication. The cutting took place at a special luncheon hosted by the management and staff of the Free Press to thank ail of those people who have supported the newspaper over the iast decade. Unfortunately, the oniy people we could not invite were our readers but with over 68,000 of them it would have been rather difficuit to fit them ail into the hall. However, it is because of those who have read this publication so faithfully over the years that we experience our present success. To these people, the management and staff of the Whitby Free Press wouid like to gîve their heartfelt thanks.-FrePssSafP1ht DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 214 Dundas St. E., Whitby 668-7797 Hours: Mon. - Sat. & Evenings By Appointment OnIy (across f rom Beer Store) il Pe88t... Want to IleaBe a Rabblt? Or an Audi 5000S Also aval lable 7 8and 12 seat buses ~VOLKSWAGENL1D.y /IOshaw I 1425 DUNDAS ST. E., Hwy _WGE ID 68-93Toronto Une 36-1128 Hvq401 L_ 683 WHITBY FREE 1 un .2 .ý - la - - il