pers ey of the Socred government expressed by ‘North Shore residents in a recent survey should hardly come: as a surprise to our provincial masters in Victoria. . ‘There ‘are ‘numerous issues of wale concern to the three North Shore lities which j a ppear to be reeened _ Unner ‘Levels; the. exclusion | of the North Shore ‘from. rapid: transit: and West y ‘inadequate ambulance services, just to mention afew. It is the general attitude of the provincial government, to. these-.and other matters of __Jocal .importance,: rather than its lack of ~"‘fmmediate action -on them, that may be at the roof. of the dissatisfaction. The attitade was‘summed up a week or two ago by West. Van, Mayor. Derrick Humphreys who _ described: the. stock: reaction-to requests for ‘assistance ‘which only Victoria can provide > ‘Tha ‘rea ion, ‘in:turn, may be related to the definition of municipalities in the British North :America Act. as “creatures .of the province”. But given . Premier Bennett's . present: ‘slim four-seat majority (which could - be cut to two as a result of the upcoming Kamloops by-election), the three North Shore: ridings: might eventually prove to be “creatures” with sharp political teeth. If pleas ‘for provincial cooperation are dismissed once too often with the ad- monishment to:run away and play, that’s just . what North Shore voters might do at the next election. With candidates other than their three present Socred MLAs. a Ladies don’t tell The prime minister has challenged Britain’s PM, Margaret Thatcher, to tell the world what happened during their meeting last summer when the Canadian constitution was allegedly discussed — but Margaret ts being a little coy. It's understandable. Male locker room boasts are one thing, but asking the lady herself to confirm them fs not very chivalrous. Really, Pierre, we thought you knew women better! sunday news north shore news NEWS 985-2131 1139 Lonsdale Ave . North Vancouver, B C V7M 2H4 (604) 985-2131 ADVERTISING CLASSIFIED CIRCULATION 980-0511 986-6222 986-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Editor-in-Chief Advertising Director Robert Graham Noel Wright Eric Cardwell Classified Manager Creative Production & Office Administrator Director Rick Stonehouse Berni Hilkard Tim Francis Faye McCrac Managing Editor News Editor . Photography Andy Fraser Chris Lloyd Elsworth Dickson Accounting Supervisor Circulation Director Barbara Keen Brian A Ellis North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent commun ty newspaper and qualified under Schedute WM, Part I, Paragraph il of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd and distributed to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885 Subscriptions $20 per year Entwe contents 6 1980 North Shore Free Press Ltd All rights reserved No responsibility accepted tor unsoliuted matenal we tudhiiy manuscripts and pictires. wich should be accompaniad by a stamped addressed return envelope VERIFIED CIRCULATION: 60,870 Wednesday, 49,013 Sunday THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE OTTAWA (SF) - Opposition Prime’: Minister. Pierre Trudeau's attempt to change Canada’s’ constitution unilaterally, and then bring it home from London, has reached such proportions that Mr. Trudeau will likely be: forced into a major revision of his plans. - Public opinion polls show clearly that a large majority Canadian Comment BY PETER WARD of Canadians do not want the ‘federal government to act unilaterally on the con- School boards throughout the province are” facing tough questions today about soaring school taxes at a time of declining enrolment and what many critics regard as inadequate education standards. Meanwhile, parental interest in the alternatives to the public school system offered by B.C.’s_ fee-charging, independent schools is showing a marked upswing. The trend is still a long, long way from putting the public school system out of business and, of course, it never will, But the figures, nevertheless, are significant. More than 26,000 students — roughly five per cent of the province's total school population — already attend B.C.’s 224 independent schools. Almost 13,000 of them come from the Greater Vancouver area’ which boasts 67 independent schools of varying types. Last year alone 15 new schools belonging to the Association of Independent Christian Schools opencd their doors throughout the province. Vancouver's posh York House School for girls has mailed an unprecedented 500 brochures to interested parents in the past two months. In dramatic contrast to the situation in the public school system, the current year has scen an overall five percent enrolment increase in the province's independent schools. In a period when educational methods and approaches are the target of growing citicism the in- dependents must be doing something right. DOUBLE BURDEN The big practical § dif- ference between parents whose chifidren attend public schools and those who opt for an independent school boils down, of course, to dollars and cents. -Both categories pay local school taxes on their property tax bills. But the latter, in addition, pay fees directly to their chosen school. These range all the way from $150-$800 per year for Catholic day schools up to around $7,000 per year or more for a boarder at onc of the top establishments like St. George's and Crofton House. Until a litle over three years ago the parents of independent schoo! students were strictly on their own with this double financial burden (school taxes used exclusively for the public school system plus their privato fees for the jn- dependent school). If they chose to be “snobs”, they could pick up the full tab for the privilege as far as the public purse was concerned. In 1977, for the first time since Confederation, the B.C. government finally stitution, without the consent of at least a sub- stantial majority of the provinces. That provincial approval is not there. With a majority of Liberal members on the House of Commons and Senate, there is nothing to stop Mr. Trudeau from pushing through his joint address to the British Parliament, over the objections of the op- position. That may be true in theory, but not in practice. . The changes forced in Mr. Trudeau's approach since he first “met Parliament last Qctober have been pushed through by an increasingly nervous Liberal caucus. It was the caucus which in- sisted that radio and television coverage be allowed in the constitutional committee; it was the caucus which insisted that the hearings be extended from the original December 9 deadline to February 6. The Liberal caucus is sensitive to the public opinion poll figures on how Canadians feel on the constitution; perhaps more sensitive than the cabinet. And there is wide ap- focus ‘Noel Wright decided to case their burden a little with the Independent Schools Support Act. The act now provides for partial funding cooperating of independent schools from _ provincial taxes. There are two levels of fynding. GOOD BARGAIN Schools in operauon for more than five years which undertake to promote no discriminatory doctrines (c. Bes racial superiority, religious intolerance or violent social change) get nine per cent of the average cost-per-student for the ‘an amending formula. What préciation in that c caucus of the fact that public opinion opposes unilateral con- stitutional change, not the patriation of the constitution itself. Opposition to the government's constitutional plans would nose-dive dramatically if the govern- ment merely wished to bring a Canadian constitution home from Westminster,. even if that action included sticks in the collective Canadian, craw is the fact that Mr. Trudeau wants his * pet formula for-a charter of rights, including education rights, passed by the British Parliament and included in the package which is passed to Canadian control. The blockage between public opinion and govern- ment desires, then, is simply the insistence of Prime Minister Trudeau: that a charter of rights, including education rights, be in- cluded. in a Canadian constitution. Pressure in the Liberal ‘caucus is now shifting towards withdrawing that rights package from the constitutional strategy. Without the charter of ’ rights, most disagreement on the constitution would die. The federal government could have its constitutional way. Mr. Trudeau would not be content, but it now ap- pears that he may be forced into accepting the will of his political allies. Cuts our taxes public school district in which they are located. Schools which, in ad-- dition, agree to a curriculum and testing program ap- proved by the Education Ministry get 30 per cent of the average cost-per- student. About one half of B.C.'s 224 independent schools presently receive govern- ment funding under the ISS Act. The rest remain completely on their own financially and, therefore, - completely independent — free running foul of the law. The ISS Act is naturally | unpopular with fervent supporters of a monopolistic public school system who. argue that handouts to an “elitist” education system are ul | justifiable. But actually the — taxpayer is still getting 4 mighty good bargain. The Federation of In- dependent Schools Associations calculates that it would cost B.C. taxpayers more than $45 million per ycar to absorb the province's — 26,000 independent school |" students into the public’. | school system. In 1979 (the latest figures available) the ' government shelled out 4 mere nine million — leaving taxpayers still $36. million into pocket, d, So much for the money ©. side of 4 independent schooling. Next week, a look; © at what (hat schooling provides, | - to teach whatever , we they will short of actually. , government vet