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Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville January 2 1978 9 HIgh SehoolEveningCl assesOfferBresta including ballroom dancing. The dance class had 100 people coming to it when it was cancelled because the instructor moved and no other teacher could be found to fill the position. But this year's enrol- Iment is almost as high, he says, with the overall figure standing at the 1000 mark. The night school principal expects the popularity of evening courses to increase each year as a declining birth rate drops enrollment in day school. . Fascinating The social aspect is another key factor in the success of the program, he explains. For a large percentage of students it provides them not only an outlet for crea- tive abilities, but an opportunity to meet others with similar motivations. "Night school is a fascinating operation to run." he says. 'The fact that you're: working with people from all walks of life," he adds, "brings a built in fascination." "Most of the staff are not teachers by profes- sion, but people from the community who have developed a special skill." Chairman of the BHS history department, he was asked to run the night school three years ago as part of his administrative training experience. Next year he plans to write a thesis for a doctorate degree based on research and his own experience while con- ducting the night school operation. As technology gives the working man and woman more free time, society turns to educa- tion as a past time in the same way that sports and recreation gain larger followings every year, he explains. Whether the course is academie or leans toward more artistie goals, night school students are looking for new twists in their leisure activities. "People will take them (courses) because they have an immediate practical goal," he points out. The teachers, he adds, have a totally different approach than day school instructors and find those in their classes are generally keenly interested in learning the skill that the person at the front has to show them. At the beginning of the school year, the Mght school staff show their wares to prospective students browsing for a subject to study. The openess of the instruct- ors when they display samples allow the student to decide which course is -the 'Most appealing. Openings are still available in most of the winter and spring courses offered at the school. To register or for more information, telephone Gary Mihilo- vich, night school principal at either 623- 4417 or 623-4229. High school inathematies is offered in the evening classes, as a credited subject toward a grade 12 diploma. Above, John Kreisz, a teacher in both the day and evening program at the school, works with a group of students. Welding instructor John Buchan, above left, looks over the shoulder of John Wagenaar, one of the students in the welding program. The night course allows students to use equipment available at the school during the day. A night school art course offers the student techniques to refine their talents for including details in their paintings. Above, instructor, Eileen Van Nest gives a hand to Helen Fisher. In a time of restraint even an item such as education is given close scrutiny by the public. For the really cost conscious shopper, however, night school courses at Bowmanville High School offer a bargain that is hard to beat. At $7.50 for 20 hours of instruction, a quick cal- culation shows that evening classes work out to approximately 37 cents per hour. Whether the course is automobile mainten- ance or more creative subjects such as art or macrame', it adds up to an inexpensive education, says night school principal Gary Mihilovich. "This is robably the best deal around," according to his estim- ates. But night school is one of the fringe benefits of living in an affluent society that can afford to make education a cheap item on the con- sumers shopping list, But, with $22 million spent on adult programs out of Ontario's total $1.5 billion education budget, it still repre- sents a sizeable per- centage of the tax dollar. Creative Stressed The courses available at the high school have been leaning toward a more creative emphasis in recent years, reflect- ing a wide spectrum of interests shown by the public. Still, certain aca- demic subjects attract large enrolment, de- pending on current tastes and sentiments that are circulating, Mr. Mihilovich says. The school's evening French course, for in- stance, has been filled to capacity since separ- atism has become an issue in Quebec. The trend is attributable to concern for the country's unity, he maintains. Mathematics, a course that gives the successful student a credit toward a grade 12 diploma, is another popular subject. Creative courses are also aimed at practical goals that make them worth taking, he added. Saving money is the most direct objective that someone may have in their mind when they enroll in a night school program. A person who wants to know more about main- taining a car has one overall purpose: saving on car bills. Craft programs are aimed in the same direction as well. A class on decoupage will show a person the method for taking $5 worth of material to make craftwork that would sell for five times the cost. Popularity Up The courses are as varied as the people enrolled in them, and the night school tries to accommodate as many interests as possible, he says. Cake decorating for gourmets, physical fit- ness classes, photography, quilting, welding, hairdressing, accounting, chair caning and bridge are some of the courses offered. In total there were 40 programs in progress during the Monday and Wednesday classes at the school before Christmas and 15 are offered after the holiday break. Winter driving and poor weather condi- tions has always dis- couraged enrollment in the second half of the term, he points out. Any course that has. 15 people interested in it can be registered in the night school's curricu- lum. Ideally, the community determines the courses available by suggesting the study subjects to the night school administration. Last year there were 1,100 enrolled in the evening classes, attracted to several extra popular subjects, 1 SýG