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IPAGE 2, WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 1983, WH-ITBY FREE PRESS Taxpayers want serupulous spending: Powers 'M D1 urham Board of Education should lm- plement many programa that wil require lncreased spen- ding ln order to improve the quallty of Education ln the region. That's the message of a group of parents, tax- paYera, students and teachers gave the board in a 500-page report released by the board last week. Although the par- ticipants in. the study feit the programs were needed, they weren't asked whether they would be wllling to bear a highier tax Ioad ln or- der to finance better quallty education. Among the moot costly measures recommended in the co- operative Evaluation and Development of School Systems (CED- 5$) report were In- creased stafflng, pur- chasing more computer equlpment, increasing the number of special education teachers- and teachers aides, and providlng bigger block budgets for scbools to buy resource textbooks, supplies and equipment. It was discovered in the study that the Durham Board of Education currently spends lesPer pupil than any board in on- tario, averaging 13 per cent lower in both secondary and elemen- tary school "The board bas been very scrupulous ln ter- ms of thefr spending,"1 Chuck Powers, chair- man o! the study's in- ternai evaluation team, explained last week. "I have to 'assume tbat's wbat taxpayers want because that's the way the trustees vote. "The board bas con- sidered the taxpayer to a very optimum degree," Powers con- cluded. The 17-month study was produced in co- operation with Ministry of Education, which recommends such atonies be conducted everY 10 years in the reglon. More tban 3,000 volunteers from the communlty participated ln the study, whlch coot $68,000 ($35,000 paid for by the local board). A group of taxpayers, Parents, teachers and students responded to questions about at- titudes toward education, discipline, curriculum, financing and French. The fin- dings of an "internai"' team (from the Durbam Board) were verified by an "'external" team comprlsed o! Ministry- appointed members. The recommen- dations of both teams wiIl be considered by the board, but are not binding. Evaluators ex- plained many of the recommendations are not new te the board, and are currentiy being considered. Because of the high. cost o! many recom- mendations, it is suggested they be im- plemented "as funda becomeaveilable."1 One strong recom- mendation is to decrease the, size of classrooms in Durbam, whlch la currentiy 1.6 Per cent over the provincial guidelines. According te the study, class sizes should not exceed the foilowing guldelines: Kindergar- ten te Grade 3: 23 students; Grades 4 - 8: 28 students; Split classes: 23 students; Grades 9 -13: 28 studen- ts. Powers said class sizes now range fro 20 to 28 students ln Kmn- dergarten, te as mnany as 35 students in Grades 7 and 8. "The recommen- dation is here,"P Powers said. "But the cost isn't attached te, it. This is an opinion ... now we've got it and the next decision is a political one."I The Durbam Board was praised in many. aspects of education, especially in the hlgh quality of mathematica and English instruction. Highlights of the' recommendations made in the report include: *there should be in- creased communication between schools and parents. *smailer classes should be addressed for al leveis where feasible *physical ,education should be compuisory in ail grades *the use of computers in administration and curriculum should be encouraged *ali sehools in Durbam Reglon that bave com- puter science courses bave sufficient equip- ment available to ser- vice the number of students requesting the courses *educatera ln Durham be praised for the good Job they are doing in the teachlng of Engllsh at ail levels 0 Consumer and business education- family .studies- industrial arts and technical subjects con- tinue to baveý a high priorlty ln Durbam ethere should be an in- crease in the number of staff membera, teachers aides and parent volunteers to facilitate the special education programs *a statement of achool rules should be published *students should bave Amarih on City Hall' shouldn't b. the. only time you get mFl 15 11 N STARIGWEK0 PRIL 4NG REG STIO OARH91 SAVE NS- $500!Na SON SEARSNSSI-TUSN iGHTMS 1450HPINS STREETANDITBy WHI668.6941 IC rules ethe strap should be retained ewhezn other means fail, the use of expulsion should be retained Despite the fact that French was listed tenth out of ten on a scale 0f priority by the respon- dents, the study recommends a 1200 hour core French program bu implemented star- ting in Kindergarten. In general, the recommendations ne- garding discipline ad- vocate stricter measures than are currently being used. "In the 1970's we used te protect the bad ac- ter,"P said Jim McNabb, chairman of the exter- nal evaluation team. "More and more the students and parents are saying 'We bave a right to the teacher's at- tention'." Both teams recom- mend the board under- take a critical evaluation" 0of stafflng levels ln order te correct dificiencies in the pupil- WHITBY MALL i 4th Anniversary Sale MARCH 24, 25, 26 Special Events CHfILDREN'àS MO VIES (two aday) Yl As.M. - 1 P. Me 3 Po.Mo-5 P. Mo Compliments of Whitby Video ,:Fashion Show . p Thurs. and Fr1. 7 p.m. Soto 2 p.m. ( @@#for TWN and coiNTBv @$and for WHITBY MALL THICKSON RD. m DUNDAS ST, E. SA ý N s he -l À- i' 2,- q. r- TH-APAR DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 214 Dundas' St. E. 163 Simcoe St. S. Whitby Oshawa 668-7797 ý579-8752 Hours: Monday to Saturday & Evenings By, Appointment Only