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Whitby Free Pnms, Weckioscay,ý Novembor 8.19M5.,Page 7 Snobelen competent?. Firet, let me confeés: this column may b. a conflict of mnterest. Why? Because we discues educational reforrn, especially that promised by Education Minister John Snobelen. Snobelen, youwill recail, is the high-school dropout who became a millionaire and now i politie heada education in the province. With bis boss, Premieér Mike Harris, Snobelen has vowed to cut education costs. Not in the classroom, mmnd you; no, the cuts will ail corne out of "administration." Now cornes my confession: my fuli-time regular job, five days a week, is as an educational administrator. You can see how someone who administers education might feel a littie heat these days. That out of the way, let us review what Mr. Snobelen has done s0 far. Least week, he announced the elimination of Grade 13. It ie te be phased out starting with the Grade 9 students entering in September 1997. He has eliminated Junior Kindergarten. ([t is now a local board option, wbich means it is no longer funded by the province.) School construction bas been fr-ozen (pending announcements later tbis month on details of reductions in education funding.) Aiready, relatively smail reductions have been inflicted on parts of education. More and bigger (rumours: 20 te 40 per cent?) cuts will be announced by Nov. 22 or thereabouts. Enough backgrund? Oh, I forgot. Snobelen was al so the one of videotape faine who was shown outlining te senior -bureaucrats how you achieve change: first you create a crisis; then, when everyone panics,' you can bring in change te solve the crisis. Snobelen has also clearly indicated that education should be administered as a client or customer focused service. Many educaters bave reacted harshly te that analogy. But tbink about it: good teachers have always done, that. Anyway, let us docorne wild guessing about changes that Snobelen could bring in. First, funding: he's said the cuts will be deep, and tborough. Look for about 15 per cent te elementary and secondary school funding. Colleges and universities may get bit for 20 te 30 per cent. Look for layoffs from all secters. Expeet some announcement this year on strengthened school councils for elementary and high schools. These are panels made up of parents, school staff and community members. Lately they have become a buzzword in education. My guess cs Snobelen will empower councils far more than anyone bas yet expected. Such councils will set priorities for spending the few dollars that are left. What else? Iàkely more testing of students across the province. But other than that, little will be dictated centrally by th. ministry. Basically, Snobelen will announce funding cuts, one or two other policy issues, and then stand back te let boards set thefr own priorities (guided by th. ultimate consumer, th. taxpayer.) Will the reductions be accomplished without affecting the classroom? Well, yeah, good theory. Itfs wbat Snobelen and Mike Harris will say is happening. But the cuts will be co deep and significant that itIl show everywhere. Class sizes will be larger, special services will be cut; anyone with special needs will feel the heat. Expect university tuition te increase substantially, college tuition slightly less. 1 Notice 1hat when Snobelen announced the elimination of Grade 13, he said it will be phased in. That's a bint about bis style: bad h. simply chopped OAC credits, he TED RE MM CE D"Y DINNERAT E~IYlEG HNMBUNOVEOMBER 8J%9lm Thie firet Remnembranoe Day dinner in the Legion Hall was held 50 years ago today. A capacity crowd sat down to nialoshift wooden tables. The Legion Hall opened earlier in 1945, replacing the old club rooms over Allin's Drug Store at Brock and Dundas Streets. Whitby Archives photo 10 YEARS A(X) from the. WednesadaY, November 6,1985 edition of the WHMTY FREE PRESS 0 Hydro Commission candidates reoeived no questions from the public or media at a recent election forum. a Harvey Winter was honoured for 60 years as a Mason. a Chldren's inging star Fred Penner will appear at Henry Street High School to rais. funde for the. Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital Auiliary. 0 Filins of the Brooklin Redmen winning the. Mann Cup of 1985 will b. shown in the Brooklin Community Centre. 35 YEARS A(X) from the Thursday,,November 3,1960 edition of the WBTYWEELYNEWS * The new municipal building on Dundas Street West will b. officially opened tomorrow. * The. new lire hall at Brooklin was officially 9pened on Oct. 28 by John Turnbull, of the Ontario Fire Marshall's Department. .Ed Bowman has resigned as Public School Board Secretary because of ill health. *The Victorien Order offNurses raised more than $3,000 in an emergency canvass for funds. 80 YEARS AGO from the. Thursday, November 4, 1915 edition of the WB1TBY GAZETT'E AND CHRONICLE sA petition signed by 220 ratepayers wanta Town Council to ban the sale of liquor in local