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R eportfrom Queen ' s Park LJJ. By GEORGE ASHE, MPP (PC- DURHAM WEST) Education a challenge for Ontario government As I have mentioned previously in this column, education has probably become the most highly visible sign of just how much our society is changing. Almoet every community across the province (except in bigh growth areas like Durhanm West Riding> is experiencing declining student enrolments, and as a result are finding themnselves academically over- staffed and over equipped. Employers are demnanding skills that traditionally have not been emphasized in our education system. Educators are witnessing the impact on students of the tremendous changes in today's lifestyles brought about by trends such as both parents working, greater awareness of the SCOUT PAPER DRIVE This Saturday will be the Cub and Scout Paper Drive. Please have papers bundled or boxed and near the road at 9:00 o'clock. Remember, this Saturday, Cup and Scout Paper Drive. SPEEDY RECOVERY We wish Evelyn Stevenson of Thickson Road North a very speedy recovery. Evelyn was confined to hospital for surgery and missed our Capers Bail. Get well soon. K-MART PLAZA The addition to the K-Mart Plaza is stili in the planning stages. The last meeting revealed very littie change in the overaîl picture. Sbrubs had been added and the signs were displayed. The road, that originally caused great difficulty, remained intact and the restaurant stili rested on the same corner. The stone cairn remained in its present location. A portion of Kendalwood Road was to be widened to allow for the extra traffie and turning. The' area residents showed great displeasure with the location of the restaurant and the additional road access onto Kendalwood. Traffie experts alleged that the extra'access would allow an orderly flow of traffic to and from the plaza. However, the experts did not explain how the drivers would be educated to follow the orderly pattern. On paper it looks good, but in reality it just doesn't work. Drivers will stili go where and whenever they choose in the K-Mart lot. We were also assured that opening Kendalwood to Gibb Street would not cause any significant traffic change. This has proven to be a false statement, making people leery of the opinion of traffic experts. Rest assured, the so-called experts do not reside on Kendalwood Road. The plaza does need a face lift and more stores, but the ex- pansion needi fot interfere with existing residents. Lets all remember the homes were there long before the K-Mart. The Kendalwood area people have put up with a lot of noise, gar- bage, traffic, lights etc. The plaza is needed, but surely it can expand without causing more hardships to the residents. WELCOME HOME Welcome home to Jean Parsons, who has been spending the last few weeks in B. C. Please cail 7258967 with news items for the colunin. WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY MARCH 5, 1980. PAGE 23 environinent, single parent families and changes in im- migration patterns. The challenge in education for the Government of Ontario is to meet the changing demands while attempting to keep tbe cost of education ini line with the declining enrolments. The bottom line purpose of education is to assist each individual learner to achieve bis or ber potential in physical, intellectual, emotional, social, cultural and moral development in order to become self-su.fficient, contributing adult citizens. The provision of such education is a shared responsibility. The family is clearly one of the prime forces in the total education and development of most children within this province. F'urther influences come from churches, the community, tbe media in its various forms and a variety of other social forces. When recently summarizing the objectives of the Ministry of Education, tbe Honourable Bette Stephenson stressed that tbe prime role of t.he- ministry in grade schools and secondary schools iS to provide the basic knowledge and skills needed for students to be abl *e to understand and express ideas through words, nuxnbers and other symbols in order to help them to learn to manage their personal affiars such as career plan- ning, and to increase their ability to cope witb challenge and change. Tied in with this is the teaching of skills and attitudes for responding to the expectations of the world of work, through developing good work habits,. coping with em- ployment stress arrd achieving dignity at work. In addition to this, the ministry designs programs to comn- plement the efforts 0f parents and social forces to give young people a feeling of self-worth. This feeling is mosUly fostered internally, by teaching a reallstic self-apprasial, confidence and conviction to pursue excellence, self-discipline and satisfaction in achievement. It is reinforced externally by our educators through encouragement, respect and support. The ministry has establlshed programs that will give the students an understanding of their role withln the family, and the family's role within society. Young people must be taught acceptance of personal responsibility in society, which grows from an understanding of social order, a respect for the law and rights of others, as well as a concern for the quality of life both at home and at work. To assist our future citizens in adapting to changing im- migration patterns, the ministry promotes programs that will instill a strong respect of the cultures, customs and beliefs of a wide variety of different groups. The Ministry of Education is working very closely with bot.h the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Community and Social Services, in order to provide for the special needs of the young people in work-related opportunities and to deal with the well-being of handicapped, disturbed, neglected or delinquent children. As you can see fromn the foregoing, achieving the goals of the Ministry of Education will be no easy task. The Government of Ontario, however, remnains committed to the philosophy that our children are our single most important assurance for the future. They are the citizens of tomorrow, and we want them to be equipped to think clearly, feel deeply and act wisely,