| | a | | | | | : ost of system | questioned by parents, MJ From page 4 a sheltered environmen: where chitdren are not afraid to take risks. “The diagnostic ceptre isu positive place for me te teach. Most children are very: successful in future academic pursuits.” she said, Daphne Squire. trom the Learning Assistance Seachers Association, said diagnostic cen- tres ure needed as places to send - children “who need that extra “help.” oo She asked board members if they had ever fell the frustration “and embarrassment of being unible to recall someone's name in a social setting, ang said her students feel that way every day. She characterized the board’s decision to close ‘the diagnostic centres as” back 20 years.’ School psychologis! Brian Ward pointed out that $19 chil- “setting the system ‘dren in the district's ié schools. “are already awaiting special- needs assessment. He said that one psychologist can assess about 80 children per year. Ward called on the board to explore alternatives (o. closing - the diagnostic centres. During question.perind, North Vancouver-Seymour . MLA Daniel Jarvis! said the “LD pro- gram is very relevant. Jarvis said! special-needs chil-- “dren are being put behind teach: ° .ers and administrators, who he said are protecting their awn turf, But Heal said the board is cut- ting right across the system. *There is absolutely no disere- tionary funding. Even with this cut. we're still a million dotlars: over whit the government is giv- ing us.” Lori Day, a mother of tivo special- -needs children, said District 44 was going to become a two-liered system) where hun- dreds of children will have no education. She called an the board to reveal the costs and expenditures in its $91 million budget, show- ing the cuts within the whole sys- tem. Approximately 90% of District 44's budget is eaten up by salaries and benefits. Said Trustee Barbara Mac- Lellan, “We used to have discre- tionary power for special needs. but that is no tonger the case. Schoo} boards have been stripped of their control over budgets. People don’t understand how constrained school boards have become.” Following the meeting, Heal said that a budget advisory com- mittee recommended District 44 look at its whole special. educa- lion. budget to examine whether ‘money is being spent in the most efficient manner possible. “Te spent the last three weeks on the phone constantly with parents,” she said. “and if there was anything else we could do, Pd do it in a minute.” NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge “DAPHNE SQUIRE, of the. Learning Assistance Teachers Association, appeals for retention of special-neecs facili- _ ties at Tuesday night's District 44 School Board meeting. “READERS VOICE CALL US: 983-2208 ( | { I | EILEZLELARS NEWS photo Mike Woakelietd SPECIAL-NEEDS instructor Bev Shtenko works with a group of students at the special- -needs diagnostic centre at Canyon Heights elementary school in North Vancouver. Special-needs system threatened, A DECISION by North Vancouver School District 44 (NVSD) to elin- inate funding for its two diagnostic | centres has infuriated the parents of’ special-needs children. By Bruce Methven Contributing Writer. “I have some great concerns with the cuts within our system,” said Lori Day, whose son Tyler is in Grade 4. “The system will soon he in a critical stalling point.”’ If the planned cuts ga through, Day said will be little chance that special-needs children will receive the attention they require. “The closures will mean that I will have to attend more meetings, make more phone calls than ever. work more with teachers and the school board to explore other options and areas where cuts can be made.” According to Day, special needs is the last thing that should be cut trom the ‘budget: it is an essential ‘component of the educational sys- tem and a model for building self a Crime Alert... BB Crossword ...cssssscsseessseeseessee BD ‘esteem and educational skills. Cathy Abraham, president of Parent’s Association for Children’s Therapies and Services (PACTS), said the group was started by par- ents. concerned about the fragmen- tation of services for special-needs | children. “In 1989, legislation was intro- duced integrating special-needs children into the schoo! system, but this was not followed through with sufficient funding or enough train- ing for teachers.” said Abraham. Susan. Laxten, a Lynn Valley parent, said:that before her two children went through the diagnos- tic centre. they were frustrated and wanted to quit the school system: “They were: unable to read and couldn’! process day-to-day work. They could copy out the alphabet if someone put it in front of them, but-- they couldn’ t understand it.” ' ” Laxten said her son Kevin. 10, is not learning-disabled but had the. assistance and individual attention of an aide for three years. “Now he is able to keep up with the rest of the class and work on his index Be Home & Garden.. Gh INSIGHIS oo esscsestessseeenseneseene & Mailbox sssinrnnnnsinened Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 Do you believe that Canada is fair to immigrants? Barbara Eifler North Vancouver District Canada is bending over backwards trying to be fair. Everyone is get- ting fed up with constant com- plaints of multicultural groups. Sandu Dumintresco North Vancouver I think Canada is very fair to immi- grants, unfortunately many immi- grants are not as fair to Canada, not willing to adapt here. parents charge own. He wouldn't be there if it wasn’t for the diagnostic centre,” she said- . wa “You go froma situation where , ‘I you feel you are pushing your child’ kicking and screaming out the door to school, to a situation where the child is eager to go, and even wants to go early,” she said. “The person: ality change I’ve seen in my. kids is just fantastic.” Laxten started ‘a petition after hearing.about the closures and within three days had collected 186 | signatures, « The two special-needs diagnos- tic centres in NVSD see a total of ,., about 400 a children each year. Bev Shtenko, who has worked at, the Canyon Heights Diagnostic: Centre for eight years. said that. closing diagnostic centres will have quite an impact.’ : “These are children that have a. - great deal of potential in our society “if they can develop some. skilis in literacy. “Tf the closures ga ahead as planned, these children won't have the reading and writing’ skills to Weather Thursday: cloudy with sunny periods, chance of evening showers, High 17°C, low 8°C CANADIAN IMMIGRATION policy continues to be a controversial issue for many Canadians. Some multicultural group representatives feel Canada can doa better job in welcoming new Canadians. On the other hand. groups such as the Reform Party want tighter limits on newcomers. Mike Ferguson North Vancouver Yes, i believe Canada is more than fair to immigrants. THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Is it necessary to kill animals after they have attacked people? Joyce Roberts West Vancouver No country in the world is as fair to immigrants.