The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1984, WHITBY FRTEE PRESS Board rejeets junior kindergarten study Financlal and space consideration prompted the Durham Board of Education to rejeet a request for a study that could have resulted in the re-establishinent of a junior kindergarten program. Junior kindergarten - which is offered by the Durham Region Roman Catholie , Separate Sehool Board - is a haif- day prograin for 4-year- olds and, is similiar to, the regular kindergar- ten program. Most of the trustees feit that in this age of government restraint they couid flot afford this type of program and even if they could residentiai growth throughout the region has put classroom space at a premium. Estimates brought before the board at its meeting last week show that» to implement the program across the board throughout the entire region would cost $4.9 million. Prior to making this decision, the board was told by Marjorie Mc- Colin of the Ontario Association for Eariy Childhood ,Education that private 'day nur- series are better equiped to deal wlth the educationai needs of 4- year-olds than is the board. Under the Day Nur- series Act, she pointed out, there is a staff to child ratio of i to 8. If these programs are the board's responsibility, the staff to child ratio would climb toi1 to 20. McCoIm also main- tained that the staff of these private centre have greater training in eariy childhood education than do teachers employed by the board. Junior kmn- dergarten teachers are not necessarily specialists in early childhood èducation. "We feel it would be more appropriate to 'use those fadilities that aIready exist in the community,"1 she told the board. W»Île most trustees agreed that pre-echool education was beneficial to the child they did not feel it shouid become a priority of the board. "We are talking in terms of restraint and I. don't know whether the board can afford this type of program," was the comment of Trustee Gary Kitchen (Osbawa. He, too, questioned the issues of space availability and the qualifications Of teachers. "It is not incumbent on this board to provide this kind of prograin at this time," Kitchen ad- ded. Trustee Cathy O'Flynn (Oshawa) poin- ted out that parents with 4-year-old children afready have an alter- native ini the community and the board should "step back" from this issue until more pressing questions are resolved. "Education begins at home," Trustee Lloyd Clark (Oshawa) noted. "lWe are not in a position to shoulder this expen- se." However, two trustees supporting the proposai claimed that if a junior kindergarten was establlshed throughout the region the net im- pact on the individual taxpayer will be about $17. "This board owes the ratepayers a junior kmn- dergarten program," Trustee Lorna Murphy (Pickering) said. The originator of the study proposai, Trustee Pat Mattson (Pickering) pointed out' that the Durham Board offered a Junior kmn- dergarten program un- tI a few years ago and' that it had proven itself successfu. He feit sure that space fore this prograin couId be found especilly if »it was phased in over turne in each municipality. Mattson suggested that the program be started in one school in each munucipality and then allowed to grow according to demand. However,' Whitby Trustee Ian Brown does not think the program would have been as well received as its suppor- ters dlaim. "lWe might attract only 50 per cent of the 4- year-olds in the region,"I Brown said adding, "Are we providlng an educational need or a social need? ' He pointed out that this was an optionai service and the board is not mandated to provide it under legisiation. Rebulild WPH, reports ays We know youloe busçy, So onceagi D Bank offe r s Extended'hours for last- nunute RSIYs. OnIlyll TDBn fers you these Future Builder RSP features: *No fees. *No minimum contribution. *TD Bank offers you a broad range of flexible terms. TD s te nlyBak tatoffers a Self Directed RSP. A TD SeIf-Directed RSP puts you in control of building your Retirement Income. where people make the difference The Whitby Psychiatric Hospital should be re-built to provide modern psychiatric services ac- cording to a consuitant's report prepared for the hospital's community advisory board.. The report, prepared by the management consultanting firin of Ernst and Whinney, is the result of a request from the Ontario Ministry of Health which wants the com- munity advisory. board to assume the leader- ship in the redevelop- ment of the hospital. This leadership is come in the forin 0f recommendations con- cerming -hospitai .ser- vices and the com- ponents of community care. In addition to being rebuilt, the report wants to see the hospital's hole changed to one of providing only highly specialized in-hospital treatment programs . The third major thrust of the report is the deveiopment of un- proved community based programs essen- tial to meet the needs of the mentally ill and for more co-operation bet- ween local service providers and professionals in the field. The consultant said that this role for the' hospital can b e achieved through increased em- phasis on public education and research. According to Henry Polak, chairman of the 1 W.P.H.'s community 1 advisory committee, copies of the report have beeni circulated to various interested agencies for comment. The final report is ex- pected to be published in May. In 1979, then Ontario Health Minister Denis Timbreil promised $28 million to redevelop the psychiatric hospital, however, continumng governinent restraint has pushed the project further and further down' the ministry's priolrity list.,Any recon- struction of the 75-year- old facility is not expec- ted before 198. Brlidge resuits The following are the results of last. week's play at the Whitby Duplicate Bridge Club as reported by Mrs. Jin Whorrie. North and South: Mr. and Mrs. 'Harvey Win- ter, 98%; Mrs. P.N. Spratt and Mrs. Donald Wilson, 98; Mr. and Mrs. Lee Evans, 93; and, Mrs. Jack Frost and Mrs. Hugh Baker,, 90. East and West: Mr. and Mrs. George Gausiu, 99%; Mrs. Bet- ty Harlander anid Mrs. Trudi Reust, 94; Mrs.. Bruce McColl and Mrs. Douglas Maundreil, 86; and, Burt VanNoord and Henk Heilendo orn, '83%. The results of each week's play is reported in the following issue of the Whitby Free Press. ______________________ -, - - THE CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN 0F WH ITBY ..' ONO0TIC E LOAD RESTRICTIONS F RACKQWS AND AIERS Load restrictions of 5 TONNES PER AXLE wiii b. ln effect from MARCH 1. 1984 to APRIL 30.198,lin the Town of Whitby, where properly worded signa are displayed. The Corporation of the Town of Whitby By-iaw 134"82. R.A. KUWAHARA, P. Eng., Director of Publie Works. r TO ALL OWNERS AND USERS