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PAGE 8THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, AUGUST 29,2001 Minister defends advertising campaign nr MIKE RUT,l Stuff Writer Janet ticker is defending the Province's spending of roughly $6 million million on an advertising campaign after teachers' union leaders criticized the move. The education minister said the television ads, and a magazine that will be delivered to every Ontario household, household, are intended to inform parents about new provincial initiatives, including including the teacher-testing program to begin next month. Ms. Ecker said the timing of the advertisements, advertisements, just before the start of the school year, is not an accident. "This is when parents arc most interested interested in school..." she said in an interview. interview. "It's the best time to talk to parents about what's happening in the education system." But Patricia Bell-Mctivicr, local president of the Ontario Elementary Catholic Teachers' Association, says it's a waste of money. "I think that money could have been spent in much better ways in education," education," she says. "(The teacher testing issue) is already already out in newspaper stories, everyone everyone knows about it. I don't agree with the testing procedure so I don't agree with money spent for advertising." But Bob Willsher, chairman of the public school board, says he has no problem with the government spending spending money on informing parents about education. However, he adds the almost $6 million million the government spent would get the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board out of debt. It is currently operating with a $6- million deficit. "Six million dollars would be a Godsend. I would rather see the dollars come down to the board's budget." Mike Langlois, director of the local Catholic school board, says he hasn't seen the advertisements but can't see how advertising teacher testing can improve anything. But he adds he doesn't have a problem with the concept. Mr. Langlois says his board already tests teachers and he can't see a problem if the government wants to set a provincial standard. "I would hope any money spent on advertising clarifies this," says Mr. Langlois. Bai l Manners, president of the Ontario Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation Federation (OSSTF), described the ads as government "propaganda". However, Ms. Ecker countered that's the same thing as saying investing investing resources to communicate with parents is not worthwhile. "This is a democracy," she said. "This may sound old-fashioned, but government has an obligation to report to its citizens: here's what we're doing and why." Television is the best way to communicate communicate with millions of people in the 21st century, said Ms. Ecker, adding it isn't a one-way dialogue. Parents and ratepayers need the information before they can make up their own minds, and she added they have opportunities to provide input that helps the government government make policy. As for charges that the money could have been better spent on textbooks and other school necessities, Ms. Ecker said, "not one cent of this is coming out of the education budget". She also pointed out $360 million was added to the provincial education budget budget this year. She admitted to listening to a morning morning radio show Thursday, which featured featured guests including Durham District School Board chairman Elizabeth Roy. Trustee Roy suggested school boards could have distributed the information to parents through students. But Ms. Ecker said school boards have balked in the past when approached approached to do just that. Mr. Manners, in an interview Thursday, said the boards have been unwilling to distribute information because because some of it was political in nature, as is the current advertising campaign, which he said is designed "to try and change the public's mind" as support for the government wanes. "This isn't government information, information, this is extremely glossy public relations relations advertising," he said. "It is very political in nature, it includes welcome statements in the brochure from the premier and the minister of education." He suggested the advertising campaign campaign is ironic given Ms. Ecker has "gone out of her way to accuse OSSTF of politicizing the classroom". Mr. Manners said the money could have gone to fund textbooks in the new school-to-work program for senior high school students who do not intend to go on to college or university. "Not one textbook has been written or intends to be written for the 'essentials' 'essentials' program," he said, adding the reason reason is there is no government money and publishers say there is not enough of a market for the books. "Here was an opportunity for a government... to ensure that students who have some difficulty in school have all the resources resources available." - With files from Lance Anderson Durban police make fraud arrests DURHAM - Durhar Regional Regional Police have charpd a Toronto man for a scris of banking frauds costing vifirns $149,213 and have a wfrant for a second suspect. Durham's Major Fraud Jnit suspects the men used foted Ontario Driver's Licences ind client information to pretiid they were customers of he bank. Then they received new bank cards, deposited fraudulent fraudulent cheques into the new accounts accounts and made withdrawals and instant purchases from them. Police have been investigating investigating the frauds for four months and arc assisting police in Ottawa, Ottawa, Prescott and Waterloo who arc investigating the same two men for similar frauds. Theodoros David Zafiropoulos, Zafiropoulos, 36, of Danforth Road in Toronto is charged with four counts of fraud over $5,000 and one count of attempted fraud. A warrant has been obtained for 41-year-old Brian Michael Feeney of Toronto for the same charges. He is currently in custody custody in British Columbia. LEO WONG'S TAE KWON-DO f ~TA£ KW0H-00 mm mm KravMaca ray Child" OFFICIAL TRAINING CENTER ... 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