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8og ® 0 | nA . PSR Religion classes oobinen t n o s .|‘|' ullâ€"funding will mean sharing b courses at rural school: princi *b : principal def30/¢45 EGANVILLE â€" The princi § p / of Opeongo High School ?zf);sl The meeting was the first of a The Renfrew County Board of _ trustees, Ted Barron, viceâ€"chairman courses and options must be Se‘ge-s fessions arranged by the Education in general and Opeongo _ Ron Grenier, Kathy Mation, Lorraine shared by public and separate gtl:lr;lc bhoard that are to be held High School in particulat would be _ Flynn, Clarence Vice, Aline Maguire, high school students if full funding Wrsfnt e county. more than willing to offer religious _ Betty Brisbois and Elmer Raycroft. of Roman Catholic schools is imâ€" ossfl)l_l_atni said ho ‘sees little education courses to students. Parents,.ratepayers, politicians and plemented. x;')ate clll § fl»Jr e-Stathi,‘i"g sepaâ€" Addressing a meeting on the . other interested citizens were in the "Coming together toâ€" share communites s l2 C MNEN *thoo! impact of full funding of separate _ attentive audience which filled up courses and options is the only Sel‘vedbl 695 such as the area secondary â€" education on Renfrew _ about threeâ€"quarters of the school‘s way we will keep the programs Declin)i’ peongo High School, County Board of Education _schoo]s at _ cafetorium. Their questions, which we offer here," said principal Don years ha's‘gfenrolment over> the OHS last Tuesday evening, both _ were being recorded by the board, Whillans. combine cl Dioa im shool to principal Don Whillas and board . were for the most part intelligent and _ Speaking at a meeting called by program 0 ?iSoSES ;o keep certain trustee Art Charbonneau said credit right to the point. | the Renfrew County Board of Edâ€" whill pions helsald) courses in the subject could be "‘I‘m gratified by this evening‘s ucation to discuss Bill 30, which 4 ansd approves of sharing offered for students who wish to take ;Emout." saidf Mrs.â€" Hinsperger at would provide provincial financâ€" g?:rsiszaanof p;grgr[r‘filnmgsy tt\)n‘ljot reJ}?CtE; it. e start of _ the roceedings. j s Seno0. Questions would likely arise about "Everyone hete is affelcjted b7 tghe grgadteomfeparate schools through systems under one roof at Opeonâ€" ; j mss : 0. how to fit the course into the scheme _ government‘s bill (30). E of things ‘"but there‘s nothing that Not Practical can‘t be resolved," Mr. Whillans Trustee Mark said the school: said. withinâ€"aâ€"school concept that has been f ‘"‘The Renfrew County Board of _ proposed by the Renfrew County | Education is just.as concerned about ... Roman.. Catholic. Separate _ School ] religious education," said trustee Board «is â€" neither â€" "practical or | Charbonneau in response to a parent _ possible." ‘ who commented the faith dimension _ Interestingly, the RCRCSSB had | must be looked at if the board is _ just announced the night before the ; seriously concerned about the future Opeongo meeting that it was going | viability _ of _ Opeongo. _ ‘"We‘re _ to hold off on the schoolâ€"withinâ€"aâ€" | prepared to do what we have to do. _ school _ plan _ for _ awhile and The Renfrew County Board of â€" concentrate on its existing Catholic _ Education has no objection of having secondary schools in Pembroke and priests come into the school to teach _ Renfrew. ? \ religion." The trustee said the concept "is _‘ While it appeared that separate _ not simply a matter of sharing school supporters are interested in a _ schools,"" noting some philosophy religious education â€" course, _ they would vary and administration could stressed that it be an option, not _ be _ rocky . with two . principals compulsary. From its end, the RCBE receiving directives from two distinct has made a request to the Ministry _ school boards. of Education .that it be .given We don‘t think you can have two authorization to offer such a course, _ bosses within one_ school," said but thus far the ministry has yet to _ trustee Mark bluntly. reply. Mr. Whillans combed through a Religious education was just one short history of Opeongo, where he j aspect of full funding which was has been principal since it opened in raised in what RCBE chairman _ the fall of 1968. He noted that during Barbara Hinsperger called a "very, _ the years the school has encouraged very good dialogue‘" between the teachers to include Christian values board and residents from the ID.. their _ instruction _ and has Opeongo High area. . "developed its own unique personalâ€" 5 ity, style and identity." The meeting was the first on the s f agenda of six public meetings the Bringing students from different RCBE has planned in the county. COmmunitics and backgrounds has Fielding questions on behalf of the enabled the young graduates to board from the stage were Mrs. compete with studen‘t‘s from across Hinsperger, Mr. Charbonneau and the province and | "because they trustee Dr. Stewart Mark. came together and only because they At cither end of the stage were _ CaMC together were . we able to administration _ officials, . including provide the options. Director _ of _ Education â€" Howard Hempstead _and _a _number _ of ______â€"_.â€"see page 3 > mK » & e Religionâ€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€">â€"â€"â€"â€" â€"â€"â€"â€".â€"frem poge ! Enrolment is declining at Upeongo _ combined class, because it doesn‘t Rev. lan Fleming of Melville though and stands at 659 students . split evenly."‘ © United Church in Eganville is firmly today, _ making it difficult â€" for _. More questions arise about the _ against the _ schoolâ€"withinâ€"aâ€"school administrators to offer options. Mr. _ logistics of offering a separate _ concept and read a statement to that Whillans predicted OHS will ‘"bottom _ Catholic curriculum. "‘In addition to _ effect. ut‘ at 500â€"525 students after earlier _ hiring more teachers to deliver the Stressing the statement is without stating that studies have shown that _ curriculum, more _department heads . prejudice or bigotty, Rev. Fleming 4 school under 600 is not viable, _ would be required to develop the said he was not only talking as a unable to offer a full program. necessary _ curriculum _ and _ more _ minister but also as a member of the ""The problem _ with _ declining _ superintendents would be required to _ community ‘with a deep interest in enrolment _ is critlical,” he said. â€" supervise _ instruction, hfmmd the _ the education system. "‘Already we have lost some options, _ ‘Catholic‘ perspective, . ho said, ; 4 Tt gnd weyhavc combined manypothcr Overall, Mr. Whillans told the A ?ipafiat‘}?" 9fid51‘ffie"tsld “blthlz small classes to save courses,"‘ midience, . "The staff wodlgh pe. one school. meo sls W"”]d D In 1971, for instance, there were. _ increased by oneâ€"third to deliver the fragedy in a sociely and world w! cée no combined classes while there are _ quality of progtams and service PCOQ}el seekldufillty b‘md ‘}‘d'?‘vlerSt?f’ 3 44 this year. The number of classes intended, and we, all know the major mg.h twdou also be a "‘disservice"" . has also dropped from 311, 14 years _ cost of education is salaries,"" _ to the students. ago, to 210 this year. Harking back to the formation of Gus Cammaert, principal. of St. | Taking it a step further, Mr. Opeongo, Mr. Whillans remembered _ Michael‘s School in Douglas, pointed Whillans said he had looked at the _ that people wrangled over a number out that Catholicratepayers had numbers carefully and offering one . of items ‘‘but they did agree on one _ supported both the separate and class for Roman _ Catholics and _ thing and nothing divided them on â€" public systems for . years and another _ for ‘public‘ . students is this objective, which is to provide the _ ‘"congratulated"‘ former Premier Bill statistically, virtually _ impossible. _ best education for the students."" Davis on his stand to extend full Thirty percent of the students at the aitm challengmg you, whelhqr you funding. He noted that perhaps the sehool are Catholic. like it or not,"‘ he told the audience. public system is presently going _ , We can‘t split a class because ""At some point the community is through rather a painful period of ¢ it‘s too small, and we can‘t split a _ going to have to get together again."" _ adjustment.