FROM PAGE A1 board’s intention was to eventually close Glenmore and Eagle Harbour as well as to move the grade sevens to the high schools. “We'll leave something in those two schools ... this does not change our plans on the grade sevens,” Alban said. According to parent representatives at both Eagle Harbour and Glenmore, any attempt to move grade sevens up to the high schools would be met with a resump- tion of court action. The court petition had been adjourned at the re- quest of the board until the minister had made a deci- sion. “] think it was a degree of success, It gives us the time we need,” said parent Dale Shumka. “In the meantime we have an election coming up, I would interpret the minister's decision as giving us a chance to solve it politically at the ballot box in November,” Shumka said. The November board election will see two seats up for grabs, those of hardliner Margot Furk and _ liberal Dawn Sikula, both sup porters of school closure. Eagle Harbour parent Eryl Barber told the News that if the grade sevens do not Stay in the elementary schools, “we'll proceed with court ac- tion.” “We hope we can use this year to build up programs in the school; we'll be making sure that the school board does not gut the school,” Barber said. When told of Alban’'s statements on the board's in- tention to continue with the plan to move grade sevens up, Shumka was furious. “That's very sad,” he said. “It's not exactly in the spirit of the minister's decision, where he says there should be ongoing consultation between the board and the parents,” Shumka said. “The board ts not aware of the amount of credibility they and the administration have lost m the community over this issue. They don’t understand that there are a lot of unhappy people in this distnict.” “Right or wrong. they have said they are going to do it,” Shumka said The decision was met by htde emotion, although ex- pected citicism, at Thursday's public meeting Stevens Drive resident Mrs Dallas Maddocks main tained the decimon to keep Glenmore open as a kinder garten to grade three school was “not in the spimt of Mr at May 2 4th Mr Alexander Harrison requests the pleasure of your Company to a full exhibition of the new exciting works of David MaclLagan, AOCA. FCA 2022 Park Royal Shopping Centre South ode 30TH 1A 3 2932 Granville. Vancouver Vander Zalm’s letter.” She accused: “This is another prepared, secret decision. We feel this will create another Cedardale situation and could mean a slow death for Glenmore.” Rather than being in the interests of the children in- volved, she claimed the deci- sion was “a purely spiteful act of retaliation on the board's part.” Teacher David Mc- Clenahan said that it was im- possible for small school staffs to offer comprehensive programs and that for “educational” reasons he supported the board's move to consolidate schooling. Throughout the lengthy school closures controversy, the board has stressed quali- ty of education as being its rationale for the decision, rather than merely the stated intention of saving money. Part of the problem stems from declining enrolment in the school district, from a high of 8,679 in 1979 to 5,573 in 1982. During that same period, teaching staff has dropped from a high of 380 to 285 today. “When you have classes of six and seven students, you just can’t offer all of the pro- grams which are needed,” says schools superintendent Ed Carlin. “Consolidation will give us the chance to make sure that every student in West Van- couver gets the education they deserve.” Teachers, meanwhile, have enjoyed high increases in salaries over the past 10 years, putting a strain on the budget. In 1982 they were given a 17 per cent increase, although this was partially rolled back due to the teachers taking several pro- fessional days off without pay. This year, however, teachers will be forced to take a considerably smaller increase due to the provin- cial government's Compen- PROTESTING _ school board’s decision to transfer grade seven students, mother of three, Margaret Robertson told Thursday's public meeting that such action contravenes the Provincial School Act and would be fought by continuing the court action already initiated by parents. THE NORTH SHORE’S COMPUTER LEARNING CENTRE INQUIRE ABOUT OUR SPECIAL COURSES - introduction to word processing introduction to VISICALC® private lessons HARRISON GALLERIES Park Royal South Mall, West Vancouver B.C. 926-2615 Other Gallery Locations 667 Howe St For details PHONE 926-8658 NORTH SHORE COMP-U TRAIN LTD 1850 MARINE DRIVE WEST VANCOUVER. BC viv iJ6 (One block east of the Publi Library) i lowards Manning Part 16% lan Vancouver BC 681 2817 of 683 0014 732.6217 A9 - Sunday, May 22, 1983 - North Shore News Ballot box will gauge reaction sation Stabilization Commis- sion and the Restraint Pro- gram. Conflicting statements from the school board and administration gives no clear indicatien on how many teachers will be laid off, if any, as a result of the school closures. —_. a PAIR ASSEMBLED WITH FRAME. & HINGES SOUD FIR OR MAHOGANY FRONT DOORS FROM 149” However, all parties agree that if there are to be substantial savings resulting from school closures, this would have to come from teacher and staff layoffs. No board member seems too willing to stick his neck out on the issue of teacher layoffs. 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