A6-Wednesday, November 12, 1980 - North Shore News

editorial page RE PE

The French facts

The West Vancouver Parents for French group has launched a survey to test the waters for possible French immersion teaching throughout the school system up to Grade 12.

In a province where French-only speakers amount to 0.1% of the population, and where a mere 4.6% is bilingual, they are seriously suggesting that ALL subjects — math, science, socials, the lot — might be taught throughout a West Van student's school career in French instead of in his mother tongue.

Such a program, if ever it came about,

would, of course, be optional. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Parents for French are losing touch with r . Beyond becoming bilingual, the practical advantages for high school graduates who will be pursuing their careers almost ex- clusively in English-speaking Canada are obscure. The possible effect on the teaching of other subjects calls for careful examination. As well, there is the question of where sufficient qualified French-speaking teachers of specialized subjects for senior school grades could be found.

Above all, the mind boggles at the cost of such a dual program to serve a small minority at a time when property-owners are already being warned of possible “horren- dous” school tax increases in 1981.

We're all in favor of French as a second language being a compulsory subject throughout a student's school career. But the Parents for French proposal — which may also have a political tinge — goes far beyond that commonsense concept, and with an open-ended price tag. The PFF would be wise to recognize the facts of life.

Governed by ads?

Ottawa, it is revealed, has become the country’s biggest advertiser — spending three times more than giant General Foods Led. to tell us how good it is. Or is it just the telling that’s so good?

Is it possible the ad agencies themselves might make a better job of running Canada?

TH VOCE OF NOWTT: ALT WEST VANCOUVER

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Advertising Director Robert Graham Noel Wright

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Creative Ot ector Tarva Bb taarye bes

Production Hack Stonehouse faye Me cae

Managing Editor Andy Fraser

Nowns Editor ( tris tdeoryed

Photography EVs we oe tt Con bm ssc or

Accounting Supervisor

Barbara Keer North Shore News fouodedi UO an ar depended tye Ty Newapaper and cpaaltfieve) aden Soe feercduabe WE bee OM bee Ayah ob

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THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE

Bilingualism in disguise

Ottawa (SF) - There are two basic aspects to the constitutional debate which has been hung like an albatross around the country’s neck and daubed with the label “crisis”.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau 1s a republican-type democrat, who wants things written down and struc- tured. He wants his bill of rights together with a role for the courts, in the con- sutution. He also wants language rights but that's a separate story.

This fixation with a written constitution is anathema to many English- speaking Canadians, seeped in the tradition of the British Parliamentary tradition. in British common law, there ts no constitution, merely the dictum that all rights belong to the people, except those rights specifically withdrawn from them by legislation. You can't steal, for example, because that infringes on the rights of others.

A bill of rights is also a way of getting through language rights’ for

Canadian Comment

BY PETER WARD

education, with the courts deciding what percentage of a regional population must be French or English

speaking to warrant schools in the other language. Mr.

Trudeau has jong held the dream of making it possible for Quebec's French- speaking citizens to be totally mobile in all of Canada; to move. for

example, from Trois- Rivieres to Red Deer. and enjoy the nght of educating their children in French.

That provision is. of course, coupled with the legal obligation of govern- ments to offer services in both languages’ wherever population percentages, in the view of the courts so warrant. It's the route to eventual bilingualism.

If that is the kind of Canada which is preferred by the majority of Canadians, sobeit. A case can be made for a bilingual Canada, for a nation 50 years from now speaking a sort of “Franglais,” providing the best bulwark against ab- sorpiion of Canada by the United States. It would certainly make us different.

It is, however, incumbent on those who govern us, to present an accurate picture of the intent of the new rules for Canada. It is also in- cumbent on Canadians to take the trouble to un- derstand the far-reaching implications of the changes proposed.

Election issues just packaging

Election issues are the equivalent of the TV

dinner package in

the supermarket

freezer.

Normally, the latter is sufficiently eye-catching and attractive to make you buy the contents. After which, you throw away the packaging before discovering whether you like the product.

At. election course,

time, of the product is the pohtician wooing your vole And if the local candidates in this Saturday's municipal and school board elections fried chicken or Salisbury steaks. their In MoM cases. Cause Swanson or

were

packaging. wouldnt Manor House to lose a wink of sleep

With very few caceptions the assues on which North

Shore candidates

are campaigning to warmed over

date are “motherhood:

themes which have been around as long as the councils and school boards

themsclves now clutched

once again by the hopefuls as a drowning man clutches a straw

Thats not to say theres

anything wrong with such issues though they don cracthy make the — pulse quicken The truth ts that there are virtually no new Mayor isucs on the North Shore at the present time

Thats presumably why the

mayors oof North Vaneouver Ddastract West

together

and Van

with all Wenstl

teturned by

CON CE

three iaeumbent Van

aldermen were

acclamation three weeks

before polling day

There doesnt have ta be a

bun hb oof brand new issues

for covery cleethon of course

There s plenty of work stall needed con the cold tannabeae soTde Ss NNOCUEY ' \ Nooeth Nan Coaty oir tl where only oa

Stage seats age tor prates thins

year — there's the perenmial traffic problem, for example. and the urgent

need to reheve the burden by getting some progress on the still stalled Low Level Road project.

There's Upper

ment.

the question of Lonsdale develop. with one candidate that single-family homes in that area must be saved from the fate that has overtaken them in the Lower 1 onsdale apartment zone And there's the whole matter. of Lonsdale itself the

insisting

Lower development

urgent need for greatly increased recrcational facilities (including a swimming pool) and the vision oof a mayor Lower Lonsdale shopping centre

which could provide a big lax revenue bonus for many

other services the city cannot presently afford NV DISTRICI In North Van [astract there are calls from can

didates for more reasonably

proved housing espectally

for sentors and the han dicapped Chemical hacards

( hick crul

another Ive cles thom teopras

Hooker 1 are

as arc stern warnings that the

line trast be held on mune ipal taxes trust t at always’)

As well in both City ane Ldastract there are can didlates

UE RII trhore open

feos al gosecrnment witha

wicatler ciliven gran tre Vpratbeon

va Ge iston making Spee ttic

Jemanas rie bude neigh

troor Deemed co coummeuds ota quan

ward svster aed a povato ba

Noel Wright

question penod prior to cach council mecting

SCHOOL BOARDS

In the se hool board contests by far the hivelhest scene in these 1980 clechhons motherhood

again rcigns supreme bevery candidate wants the best possible return for the

educational Geollar though

penny pinchers add sthe

significant rider from

available resources” Almost

all support Concentration on

educational basws and the

core curnculum while the

more Keonerous spenders want the educational frills heptas well

There. understandable

enthustaso for the MieMath Coommisston

reports fe commendation (hat Nos teoptan sdroubal font OS, of Vere ard Se dbcrcek becom toalds and herteces over the

provincial KoOsecrmment s

proposed financial Ad

MN alien At whose hh

would remove fiscal control from locally elected trustees

School — discipline. ticularly oan

par- relation to alcohol and drug abuse ts high on most candidates list So, too. as

“community involvement” ino the work- ings of the school system Some candidates are

vigorously opposed to the

concept oof schools as

vehicles for “social change”

PERSONALITIES

Overall this years North

Shore elections boilkdown to

seven incumbent - standing basically on “heir records challenged by 1}

beheve they could come to grips better with that been quite a

outsiders who problems have around = for time

In the end therefore it comes down to personahtes rather than issues You have to look

eyes and bisten to his vone

into a candidate c

before you can really form any truc idea of whether he can do the yob he laims be can Meanwhile there are only

candidate

two of thiec

mectings eft) plus a Couple of all candidate on Channel 1O TY (Now bats the West Van hopefuly tomorrow UNas 14) the North Vaan District

both starting at

phone tins

tonight

contenders Mp

Anything you den

can the short remaining time be strip off the packaging and caamine the produc ts themsclyes in the flesh or on the tube should be helpful when you de your cri duty Saturday at the preod beng

slalbeoon