Freedom Flyer 12

CANDIDATES - All candidates were present for the education discussion at Medway High School. From left: Bill Giesen, FCP, Marc Emery, Freedom Party and Renie Long, PC.

Education, the topic for discussion at the all-candidates meeting for Middlesex held at Medway High school last Wednesday, revealed a diversity of opinions among the five candidates running in the riding.

The Ontario Public Education Network, OPEN, sponsored the meeting to spotlight public education and to draw to the public's attention the concerns of their organization.

The candidates were given opportunities to introduce themselves to the audience of 130 and to respond to questions posed by OPEN and by the audience.

Liberal candidate Doug Reycraft suggested that "money alone doesn't guarantee us an educational system that prepares our children for the challenges of the future". He explained that the goals of the Liberal party to reduce class sizes in grades one and two to a maximum of 20 students and to purchase more computers could enhance the "relevance and excellence of our schools".

Renie Long, the PC candidate, informed the audience of her status as a mother and grandmother. "As a parent I believe we should strive for a quality education," adding that she thought parents should take an increased interest in their children's schools.

NDP candidate Michael Wyatt criticized the Liberal government's delays in reforming property taxes, and said that his party would like to see the education portion of property taxes phased out within five years. The NDP is in favor of reduced class sizes and more French immersion.

Marc Emery, the Freedom Party candidate, does not believe that the present education system is adequate. He envisions an elimination of the single public education system in favor of a multitude of school systems all competing with each other for the taxpayers' dollars.

"We need to put the decision - making powers in the hands of parents and teachers and not in the hands of politicians or bureaucrats," he said, suggesting that his party's vision of education would offer "a world of diversity" from which the parent could choose.

Bill Giesen, representing the Family Coalition Party, suggested that teachers are to be considered as only the assistants of parents in the process of their children's educations, and that school boards comprised of parents should have the right to select the teachers of their choice: "It would be up to the school board, not the teachers' union, to choose the teachers."

Giesen later explained that unacceptable teachers would include homosexuals, lesbians, feminists, and male chauvinists.

The candidates found cause to disagree when asked about the decrease in provincial funding for school boards from 60 percent in 1975 to less than 49 percent this year.

Giesen said he could not make a statement without more information, but Renie Long assured the audience the Progressive Conservatives are committed to the restoration of provincial funding to 60 percent within five years.

However, Reycraft defended his party's position and argued that statistics actually show increases of 5.4 percent last year and six percent this year of approved expenditures by the boards of education, given an inflation rate of four percent. He agreed that the province should increase its education assistance, and insisted that his party aims for 60 percent funding, but for approved expenditures only.

"The Ministry of Education has no control over spending by boards of education, so to guarantee 60 percent of what every board of education wanted to spend would be, in effect, issuing a blank cheque - that would represent a loss of control for the province over expenditures and that's not something we are prepared to do."

Wyatt does not consider local taxes an equitable method of funding and would like to see virtually 100 percent provincial support of education.

Emery found the question to be fraudulent in nature.

"You can tell this question was written by a school board trustee because every time they have to raise the rates people howl -- they don't like that, they would rather the provincial government tax everyone indirectly ... The money all comes from you, get that straight."