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PAGE A6 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ August 23 2006 Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Janice O'Neil, Cheryl Haines Composing Managers Todd Blayone Interactive Media Manager Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Œfjc Canabtan Statesman ■ * AUGUST 23, 2006 durhamregion.com Phone 905-579-4400 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters (n ncwsroom@<lurhamrcgion.com Keep report cards at three a year iwnot REAUN WHAT IT 5WS... Two reports each school year would not provide parents with enough needed information The request by elementary school teachers to chop the number of report cards per year from three to two just doesn't make the grade. ... The reasons given by teachers, for fewer report cards -- that they are stressful, time-consuming time-consuming and can easily be replaced by more consultation by teachers with parents - don't replace the importance of the time-honoured tri-annual parent checkup. There's nothing quite like seeing seeing the graphic evidence in black and white as to how your child is faring in school. An occasional chat over the phone or note sent home just isn't the same and lacks impact. The Elementary Teachers' Federation Federation of Ontario has long wanted wanted a reduction in the number of report cards and is pushing to get rid of that first, early report. The federation suggests that after only a few months of school, teachers don't have an adequate amount of time to provide a full assessment. ; They believe a mid-year report, say in late February, and an end- of-year roundup is enough. But, from a parent's point of view, this is the wrong approach. Parents rely on that first report . card to tell them if their child has adapted to the challenges of a new school year. The first card tells a parent if things are OK at. school, if there is help needed in certain subjects or if that old standby, 'Tve got no homework tonight," is fact or fiction on most occasions, If just two report cards were given out each year, there wouldn't be that early warning sign that can make a big difference difference over the course of an entire ■ year. Finding out that the school year isn't going so well halfway through (he year is a little too late. ;. ' One teacher complaint is that report cards are too complex and difficult to do. Perhaps ; report cards could be simplified and made more straightforward. , That would cut down on the amount of time teachers spend on them and might make it easier for parents to understand them. As it is, report cards are sometimes sometimes littered with gobbledygook and weasel words that , make it unclear exactly how little Johnny or Janey is doing. They should be written in clear, concise language that allow anyone anyone - even a Grade 4 student -- to see a clear, picture of progress or regress. , Keep three report cards because going to two would be a failure . for parents and students. :> ' u -'s ...SQMEIWNG ABOUT TW/ABLE ID Btkhveln «mmm. SOMEMNaOfc cm.,.. to) 5331 ' 'V ' .V V ® y t ./ $ _ F „ 1 .'i * -> / '4 £ Î ' i-| dofighan.com ...the number of evaluations isn't the problem. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durhamregion.com BACKWARD GLANCE Bowmanville H.S., 1955 Photo supplied by Clarington Museum and Archives A scene from January 1955 at the rear of Bowmanville High School. Major construction was in progress to provide additional instructional space and other student facilities. Control of Nitro-sorb needed To the editor: Re: Farmers defend use of Nitro- : sorb, July 19. . , Nitro-Sorb may be defended 1 by those who market and profit from its use. However, the list of. organizations calling for stricter regulation include: • Ontario's Environment Commissioner, Commissioner, Gord Miller. • The Association of Local Public Public Health Agencies including our Durham , Medical Officer of Health. • The Ontario Federation of Agriculture. •Numerous municipalities across, Ontario A provincially mandated expert panel on Sound-Sorb concluded that paper fibre biosolids are a waste and that even after composting composting their bulk use in the environment requires regulatory control. , Paper fibre biosolids can be used to make energy. Farmland should be used for food production production - not the disposal of waste. Deb Vice Protect the Ridges . Co-Chairwoman Blackstock Rude driver behavibur not appreciated To the editor: As my daughters and I were crossing through the intersection , at King and Division last Friday on the walk signal, a driver in a van who was turning rijght onto King, felt compelled to continue turning narrowly missing my daughter on her scooter. So this message goes out to all the kids who have to cross at the lights. Even though you arc doing- everything right and are following the rules of the road, please watch out for us adults who are willing to risk pedestrians' pedestrians' lives to get,to our important destinations a minute sooner. : B.C. Lyle Bowmanville Youngsters should face justice To the editor: Re: Get tough on crime Tories, ■ ' but this is ridiculous, Ian McMillan McMillan column, Aug, 20. With the lax criminal justice system we have that has sent the message there is no real deterrent deterrent to committing crime,, how does this concept of no public . accountability deter criminals of . any age? ' 1 ' Why do people think taking a young offender and "punishing" him by making him sit in a room with a bunch of angry adults who go "blàh .blah blah" at him, is going to reform years of perhaps lax guidance and upbringing? Knowing that if ÿou.do something something against the law and that you will have to answer to your , actions to a real authority, perhaps perhaps - the only real authority you've had to face in your life, may be the only real, deterrence. . We are not talking about a lot of 10- and 11-year-old hard core criminals here. No one should be exempt front the law. Doug MacDuff Courtice Minister doesn't want to put kids in prison To the editor: Re: Get tough on crime Tories, but this is ridiculous, Ian McMillan McMillan column, Aug. 20. I feel the news editor should get his facts straight before penning, penning, a typical liberal knee-jerk reactionary , article, claiming the Tories are now considering throwing 10-year-olds in jail! What nonsense! The justice minister never said that at all. He is correct in identifying identifying a problem which should be, addressed, but never suggested jail time. : ' ■ ■ Dialogue should be encouraged encouraged to seek an answer to • this problem which does exist in that age group, as drug dealers, for , instance, utilize these young children children to help in their illegal activities, activities, because they know that kids this age cannot be touched. They are being used as pawns in the drug trade and thereby receiving an early apprenticeship in this lifestyle, guaranteeing a never-ending crop of dealers to replace the ones killed off. or incarcerated. By mocking the minister, and not offering any viable ideas yourself, you are really just another part of the ongoing prob- lem and . certainly not part of the solution. , Russ Horner Oshawa LETTERS Wewelcomelettersthatinclude name, city of residence and phone numbers for verification. Writers are generally limited to 200 words and one submission submission in 30 days. We decline announcements, poetry, open- letters, consumer complaints, congratulations and thank you notes. The editor réserves the right to edit copy for length, style and clarity. The newspaper newspaper contacts only those people people whose submissions have been chosen for publication. FAX: 905-579-1809; E-MAIL: Newsroom ©durhamregion. com. CLICK AND SAY Today's question: Would you be interested in purchasing a brand new Oshawa-built Camaro when it comes into production in a few years time? Yes Not sure No Cast your vote online at infodurhamregion.com Last week's question: Do you believe Prime Minister Minister Stephen Harper should have attended the XVI Inter- nationl AIDS conference In Toronto? No 59.3% Yes. 40./% ■ Votes cast: 386 ' HAVE YOUR SAY Are you in favour of reducing the number of - report cards from three to two? Nicole Mayhew "Yes, because it allows the teacher to focus on prep time and school work." Patricia Stacey. "Yes, because it gives the, kids rpore time to upgrade." Maureen Trider "No, I would like to see more communication on children's progress when in school." Runaway contract a serious worry If you think your tax dollars get flushed down the toilet you-liad yet another reason to gnash your teeth last week. There it was splashed across the top of page one of a national newspaper: evidence tlnll in just nine months a federal consulting contract exploded from $ 1.75- million in value to $24 million, No, that was not a typo The value of the consultants' deal increased 13 limes in less than a calendar year. What's going on, you might ask?-Good question. Apparently, the contract was provided to a firm which, gel ibis, is lo try lo find cost-cutting methods in the massive Ministry of Public Works. The Liberals awarded the con- Tim Kelly tract last fall but it is now a Conservative Conservative mess to clean up. Excuses for the increases have been tossed around: The consultants consultants were going to be paid $15 million over four years hut (lie ministry wanted the work done in just one year so the fee jumped Mo $24 million. Still, it's hard lo understand .how a $ 1.75-million conception becomes a $24-miJIion baby in just nine months. And, as you can guess, how can we expect cost savings when we gel off to such an inauspicious start? Blit then, we have over a dozen years of federal-Liberal waste and mismanagement to fall back on. Remember the gun registry and the few million it would cost. Alter continuous mistakes and screw-ups the final bill on the registry went over $1 billion before the Tories decided they would pull the plug. How about the billion-dollar boondoggle under Jane Slew- art, the Human Resources and Development ministry. Under that beauty, the Liberals had to admit they didn't know exactly where the money went nor what it was used for. Then again, it was only a billion. Then, of course, there was the Quebec sponsorship scandal which saw hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars funnelled into Hie pockets of Liberal candidates and friends in Quebec. It's a pretty grim, depressing track record of total mismanagement mismanagement of tax dollars, . So, it would seem, the Tories might have a lot of catching up lo do, The original goal of (he consultants' consultants' deal was lo try to find $2.5-billion in savings from the $13 billion procurement budget at Public Works. And, the effort will all be worth it if the department can mn more efficiently and save us billions of dollars a year. But the Tories have lo get a handle on the bureaucracy they've now inherited after being in the political wilderness for more than a decade, Let's hope this case of runaway spending is a result of rookie rookie inexperience and that under Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, effective controls arc put in place. After all, there are billions of our tax dollars at slake. Copy editor Tim Kellys column appears eve:iy other Wednesday. E-mail lkelly@durhamregion, com. Marsha Williams "I think parents need to be better aware and kept informed informed throughout the year." 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