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6 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, August 4, 1998 SCOMMENT ThreCaadien Campon, pubished tWlCe weekly at 191 Main S. t., MitonSOt., 195 4N9 (Box 248), i one oflThe Metrolard Feelting, Pubhnhîing & Dsrbulong LIS grou> of suburban compa- lis whicIi inds.AjaxniPickcmmmg News Aderlser, 0111000 Heraid/Courier, Barrie Aivaîce, Barys Bay This Week. Botlon Enlrprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlimoton Shopping News, Briogeon Post, Cty Parent, Colingwood / Wataga Connectior, East Yorik Mireor, Erio AdocatelCouatry Routes, Etobicotre Guardian, Famborough Pose. Georgetnwn Independentl Acon ree Pres,. Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Weeh, Makhatla Econnxrist & Sun, Midlard / Pexeangushene Mirror, Mississauga News, Newmarteet / Aueora Ena Banner, Norhumberland News, NortrVerte Mmmc, P atenilie Beaner, Oakivltte Shopping News, Onliil Today, Oshawa / Wtritxy ICarlgonrThis Wetk, PeeboroughTh iis Week, Richmood Hi Thombilit I Vaaghan Liberal, Scarboexugb Mirror. tiobidge I Slouttnillio Tribune, Today's Senios. City of Yortk Soardian. Adveolisiog ix accepted or tbe conditior that, ix the enent of a typographical error, abat portion of tbe adventislrg space occu- pied by the erroreous iem, loge? her wilb a reasonabte altowance for signature, sit ot h chaeged for, but the balance ni the adoortiso- ment witi be paid ton athte applicable rate. Tht pubisber resernes tbe egblto categorize aitortisemeots or decline. Taling a good figlit The Halton Regional Police Service union is sounding pretty cocky about winning the day if police staffing is taken up with the provincial board that miles on such things. That panel is called the Ontario Civilian Commis.sion on Police Services (OCCOPS). Perhaps this is political posturing but then again, the rank and file officers have good reason to be optimistic. Police won big time in their previous appearance there, during which it was decided Halton should hire dozens more officers. But things have changed since that happened more than a decade ago. The public will no longer tolerate the massive deficits rung up during the 1980s by govemments at all levels. A long and painful recovery is well underway from such spend- ing sprees. Nobody is about to be given carte blanche to hire al sorts of new staff. If some quasi-govemmental body somnewhere says they should, there will likely be serious pressure to re-think that from the people who really pull the strings in provincial govemment, the MPPs who must answcr to their constituents. Nobody is saying there shouldn't be enough cops to do the job effectively. But decisions about that should be made on the political level, flot through union pressure or by some civilian policing board. Most of the controversy surrounding money for policing in Halton can be traced back to the tug of war over purse strings between senior police management and Halton council. Police management of the day was flot particularly adroit in handling that situation in the 1980s. And tic bottom line now should be, just as it should have been then, that deciding on police staff requirements is a job for electcd officiaIs, flot offi- cers of any level. Officers arc there to propose. It is up to elect- ed officials to dispose. Heart in right plac,,e Milton resident Cliff Bignell may flot bc poosin g Uic most practical seheme in the world for dealing with disabled parking violators. But bis hcart is in Uic right place. Some oUier people's hearts clearly arc not. What possesses someone who is fit to park in a disablcd spot? We've heard numerous excuses advanced, thc most common one being that Uic violator will only be a few minutes. I order to sec Uic sense behind any regulation one need only extrapolate - what if evcryone advanced Uic same rationale? There would be a parade of people parking in disablcd spots and sprinting to bank machines, or convenience stores. People in general are more rushcd Uiese days, it's truc, but Uiat's an cqually poor excuse. The fact is, able-bodied individ- uals who park in disabled spots are being cxtremnely selfish, and Uic bchaviour is noUiing short of repugnant. It's no more sociaily acceptable Uian kicking pigeons and puppies Hopefully a fcw tickets are, Uiough, if some of these individuals happen across a police officer. Given Uic recent publicity, Uiat is probably a distinct possibility. Box 248, 191 Main St. E, Milton, Ont- L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 878-4943 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associate Publinher Dili egin General Manager Rob Kelly Edtor Karen Cross Circulation Manager Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Proxducti on Manager O UR READERS WRITE MPP Chudleigh needs a lot more common sense when it cornes to teacher workloads Dear Editor: On Friday, July 24, Northi Haiton MPP Ted Chudleigh asked, 'l wonder how supportive ic average teacher is" in refèence te changes in the education system. Thbe changes brought about by Bill 160 plus changes added by Uic Halton District School Board will result in an increase i hours worked by teachers of at least 16 per cent as we move from tcaching six to seven classes. Since classes in secondary schools arc 73 to 76 minutes in lengtli, we can't just teach an extra 40-minute class per day. I one semester teachers will sec a 33-per-cent increase in their work load (four versus tdme classes), and in ic other there wiil te an increase due to more supervision and cov- erage with only half as many teachers available te do Uiesc. Wbee sthis additional tiie going tecomnefrom? Sports, clubs, plays, music and other activities that occur outsid of Uic classmoom will have te te affected. I order for teachers te te effective in Uic classroom Uiey nccd te te weli prepared. Tbis means daily marking of evaluation assigninents and making modifications based on ic actual needs of Uic sus- dents. I addition, teachers neeti t e ecnergized to deiver pro- gramn effectively. Meeting Uic nceds of a diverse group of students at Uic intellectual level required for success in Uic secondary system is exhausting. To do this weIl for the cur- rent system of 3 to 76-minute periods per day is challeng- ing. Simple common sense will tell Mr. Chudleigh that adding another 76-minute period in one semester wilInont see an improvement in tic quality of education. Let us flot pretend this is about the quality of education. It is about money. If each teacher works 16 per cent more, than the govemment can reduce the number of teachers. We know that this is not just a theory, as this year we sec many teachers laid off. How wiIl this help the quality of education? Does Mr. Chudleigh genuinely believe that any workers would flot object to a 16 per cent increase in their work- load? 0f course teachers support their union in its fight to keep Uic educational system appropriately staffed and of Uic highest quality. We supported this stance in a two-week legal ptitest last year and we supported our union's stance by over 90 per cent in a vote held in June. I contrast, ic Conservative govemrment received just over 40 per cent of Uic vote in Uic last election and yct they act as if tliey represent ail Ontario citizens. If Mr. Chudleigh believes Uiat teachers don't support this fight about Uic hrue quaity of education then he could do with a dose of common sense. Brian Bannie Science teacher Moffat Pud by Steve Nease ANIDIDF1AE«