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WHYB FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMER 20, 1991, PAGE 7 - ý i- -.- .. - - 1-- ý PAGE SEVEN We need to create a culture for learning I went te an education symposium lastFPriday. (Symaposium is a fifty dollar word moaning a bunch of-people talking.), Howard Segal, a business education'consultant with the Durhamn Board cf Education, had invited me because of commentaeinade in this space about education. rhis column does frem time to time issue opinions on education aiidl other matters. Usually, columniste are not requirod to know anything ta have an opinMion. That is one requiremont of the job. However, what Mr. Sogal may flot have known when he invited -me te Ajax Hligh School: in roal life I am post-secondary oducational administrator. If you think that's easy, try tellixig a six-year-old what you do for a living. It's a cross I bear. With this backcground, let us now jump in my Nissan Micra and drive twenty.threo minutes in the rain ta arrive at Ajax as the sessions begin. Business and industrial leaders, secondaiy school teachors, high achool and college administrators rnixed together in two sessions. There were two speakers - Martha Hynna, executive directar, learning with the Prosperity Secretaiat, and John Howitson, director of employee relations and training with the Canadian Manufacturer?' Association. .Both had interesting things ta say. Some points I will even repeat. But more interesting were the commenta and observations made during the question-and-answer period. Throe main points emerged: 1. Our educatiQnel system does not provide the quahity cf worker that business and industry say they need. - 2. Over the next ton years, Canada's work force wiil need skill levels and abilities ýthat our school systemn right now is -net producing. kn fact, it may not be prepared te produco. 3. Education problems have been studied ta death, yet no one is pro'iding needed leadership. The problemsé? Prom oducatars: auto mechanic shops, computer labs, science labs, you name it, suifer from eutdated equipment. There is net onough money ta meet ail the needs. There nover is onough money. Students seem ta be increasingly preoccupiod with activities not relating ta education. Prom business: students show up for co-op, field placements, first jobs, yeu namne it, weak in some skiils but improperly prepared for the expoctations of the workplace. Read worth ethic. Prom a student: you can talk ahl you want about needs, dollars. Just remember - you can lead a horse ta water but you can't make hlm drink. (An astutue observation which drew deserved applause.) Martha Hynna, in her ta]k, alluded ta the same point. The moot important part cf learning is the "culture for loarning." She also citod statistics - you've seen them before: today's student spends 925 heurs a year in a classroom and 1,053 hours watching television. Téeovision itself is net to arne. It would bo possible ta flI 1p,053 heurs a year cf television which would enhance eucation. The problemn lies in what people watch. What did Michael Jackson expect kids who watch bis video todo -go toSunday school? And TV must take some lumps. Give me a kid who spends 1,053 heurs a year reading the worst junk possible -l show you someone who at least is developing some reading and comprehension skills. Where are we headed? Someone recently wrote ta the Toronto Star asking how could Paul McCartney (cf Wings, Beatles farne) write an Oratorio, since ho can neither read nor write music. The answer. he provided the ideas and a serieus musician wrote thern dcown, devolopod the score, did the work. I haven't heard the Oratorio. No deubt it has some charm. But think cf this: we now are in the second generation cf McCartney era. Where musical illiterates donunate the culture. - This is what we can expect ldds toaaspire te. You don't need ta read or write - music or words. Just, you know, kind of get the idea, yulx know, and, like, people wiil understand. Besides, you can get some geek who studied at school te, huh, kind of flesh it eut, make it sound right. CaIl it the Lottery mentality, the quick fix the Long Lazy Lunch. Irm beginning ta sound like my grandfather. The student who talked about herses had it right. Martha 70M7.3-V2 -7 ï i ,.....,~ r i 'par =w ie J tiW Ihh l - 1.11 I SAMUEL TREES' BLANKET FACTORY, BBOCK STREET NOK1'H 1912 This facteiy was operated from 1910 ta, 1958 in a building where the Frank Real Estate office is new. Previeus to 1910, it was a foundry for maldng agricultural implements. The building was demoished in July 1962. Whltby Arddveg photo 10-YEARS AGO fro= the Wednesday, November 18, 1981 editien cf the WHITBY FREE PRESS " It wiil cost $75,000 te repair the Kinsmen Park swimming pool, or it will have ta be closed. " A new Cathelic high school is preposed fer the Whitby-Ajax area. " Anderson Cellegiate is oifering computer courses for thie first time. " Forbes McEwen, assistant admniistrater cf the Town of Whitby, wants the marigeld adopted as a Town flewer. 25 YEARS AQO from the Thursday, Novomber 17, 1966 editien cf the WH1fTBY WEEIKLY NEWS *Approval has been given ta, purchase 230 acres cf land near Brooklin fer a conservation area. *Whitby Jaycees hâve nominated Mayor Desmond Newman as a candidate for the Threo Outstanding Young Canadians. * red kng has resigned from the Whitby Public School Board after 12 years cf service. *The Whitby District Family YMCA was. presented with its national and provincial charters at ita firat annual. dinner meeting on Nov. 15. 75 YEARS AQO from tho Thursday, November 16,.1916 edition cf the WHf IBY GAZETTE AMD CHRONICLE e Harry Hewis, son of a local butcher, lest four fingers from his right hand in a sausage machine. * Christmas boxes for Wbitbys soldiers overseas will be sent next week. e Rev. Joseph Fletcher is president of the Whitbyr Horticultural Society. e The Whitliy Baptist Church has unveiled an, honour roll containing names cf 36 of its members serving in the armed forces. 1' Ir L ý - op .! 1 Iii4levil i plat&% 1 ý