speckulations b y Peter a) peck ———— Whether it be as a child in kindergarten, as Jim McDowell suggests, or as an adult in the working a world, there are two basic ways of functioning at your job, or vocation. The one way is to do what the ‘boss’ wants, to be sure you do nothing which might upset or.offend him and to make sure you don't stand outina crowd. . ‘Another way is use ‘your “initiative, to be creative and work at making your job a- satisfying wand exciting . calling. -. Regrettably, the former seems to crop up far too ‘often. Perhaps it. is ‘because of what Jim speaks about today. THE KINDERGARTEN BLUES _ By HM McDOWELL “It seems kids learn more in pre-school than they do in ‘kindergarten,” noted North Vancouver school trustee Ernie, Sarsfield recently. “When they don’t find any challenges i in kindergarten, north ‘shore 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North OFFICE/INEWS (604) 980-0511 CLASSIFIED 986-6222 CIRCULATION 986-1337 Gu SN’ Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Bob Graham Editor-in-Chief Noet Wright + | Mandy Frazer Editor News Editor Chris Uoyd Photos EXttsworth Dickson een 1,7 Advertiaing Director" [ ' Traftlc Manager in Francis———___ EF Classified Bemi Hilliard Administration Andrew Walters Accounts Sytvia Sorenson North Shore Newa, toundod in 1969 as an independent community newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Part 111, Paragraph 111 of the Exciso Tax Act, is published each Wednesday and Sunday the North Shore Free Press Lt distributed to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885 VERIFIED CIRCULATION 49,503 Entire contents€: 1979 North Shore Free Prose Ltd. Alt rights reserved. af SOARS ne ain gr. a they get bored and unin- terested.” And _§ trustee Smelovsky agreed charging, . “The cooperative preschools have progressed more -Yapidly than our. kin- dergarten programs.” The district has reccived _ several public and private | complaints that the kin- ‘dergartens are inadequate, and parents are asking for alternatives: - So trustee David Craig called for a review of the kindergartens by the ad- ministration. Although trustee Don Burbidge wanted a broader committee that included parents to make the study, an ad- ministrative -review was approved over Burbidge’s objection. “That certainly isn’t the way to doit,” he said, “if you want real change where it counts most.” What if the Board, for a change, asked the con- sumers to evaluate the produce — would they get the information needed to improve it? Would they use that information to change the process? ; LET PARENTS IN We won't know till they stop talking about “parent involvement” and try giving parents direct control of their schools. Meanwhile here's what I think is wrong with almost every kin- dergarten I’ve seen in 20 years of teaching. A clutter of expensive, ready-made, ‘‘creative playthings” are arranged in “learning stations” that children visit on schedule day after day. Although. the place often looks more colorful, warm, and in- “tir~the school, -. underneath the veneer it becomes dull, Verna. formal than any, ‘pther_toom....of 1 A subtle cruelty pervades ‘this training, since most of “the children aren’t aware of what's being done to them or’ who is doing it; or, if they do know, they think it’s being done by kindly people:for . -their own good. So there’s little résistance. . NO RELIEF Since parents aren't welcome to drop in to help out, ~ ‘Suggest changes, and “practice different ways of doing things, there's no relief from the smothering in- fluence of a single teacher. In kindergarten a child learns that “schooling” ‘means learning is | Separate from living. — I can no longer be trusted to teach myself; ’'m no good at it and never was. What counts is what the “authorities” know and expect -- not what I can do and want to try. Respect for authority becomes. more important than self-respect. . As I depend more and More on other people's . evaluations, I stop trusting “my common senses. I find that to make mistakes, to be wrong, uncertain, or con- fused is a crime, because the school wants right answers. So, to get the answer she wants, I learn how to manipulate the teacher, or at least how to get by — to dodge, bluff, fake, cheat, even be lazy and bored. I learn that nothing is worth doing for its own sake. I want to know what the pay- off is before I show any interest or willingness to try. Curiosity is risky; I learn to hide it. COMFORTABLE SLAVE Iam somebody learning to be a nobody. I am-lcarning how to survive as a com- fortable slave — how to please the teacher,, Skis out coubic...e6$. oles. I. 5.1 cn trouble, “compete, Nand become indifferent. I am adinhuman.as.school_ learning to turn myself off — tancdiis learning. Everybody plays a role; no one is free to respond openly and honestly. There's hardly any contact with the real world, real things, or real people Spontancous interaction is discouraged, and everything must be kept super-clean and tidy. A mysterious “tone,” sensed only by the teacher's level of tolerance, must always be maintained. Sit still! Be quict! Listen! These are the watchwords of school, and kindergarten is basic training in these so- called “listening skills” -- essential for the years of passive learning that follow. plesas-—-apon— tar tind GUN WE Sa ig “notice anything that happens around me. Why am I doing this? Because I'm getting ready for grade one where play ends, work begins, cverytnns § is done in groups, and it all starts to count. Are we trying to raise sheep, or free men? If we want sheep our kin- dergariens are perfect as they are. If we want {ree men, wo must make big changes in our schools, they begin in kindergarten. Which changes do you think are fundamental? Send me your ideas and they will be shared with others. ” = a throughout the Mall starts July Srd y : | Cay 50) : ~ July 3to fly 7 7. Whether of not you have visited this Enjoy the old- HiT beneewmregrett aca my Me JSP ——— oko Smoked Beef Stick Summer Sausage Cut any size 20¢ Ib. Off Reg. 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