Page 4 - 1954

Cordial Greetings
to the Ratepayers, Trustees, Teachers, Parents and Pupils of the Colling-
wood District Collegiate Institute.
Probably you will have no difficulty in understanding my feelings on the occasion when I am to open officially the new Colling- wood District Collegiate Institute when I tell you that I attended Collingwood Collegiate Institute as a boy and obtained my Junior Matriculation and my Honour Matriculation certificates from that institution. I lived in Stayner and made my way Monday morning to Collingwood by helping the section men pump the hand-car on the railway as far as the Batteau and then walking the rest of the way. On Friday evenings I walked back to the Batteau usually and my Father met me there and took me back in the buggy to our home in Stayner. I cannot recall that my father paid any fees to the Collingwood Board in those days; if he did, he never mentioned them to me. There were many pupils in those days from the surrounding district and there were many older ones who had taught for
three years and had returned to obtain higher certificates. The old Collegiate Institute of those days was demolished years ago but it was a fine old building of its kind. Very well do I remem- ber the teachers of those years, Messrs. Williams, Hammill, Silcox, Bonner and Ward. What an influence those men had on the pupils of those days!
An now, having spent all my life in education, I come back in a new capacity to perform a most pleasant task. The opening of a beautiful, useful and well-equipped District Collegiate Institute which has the best of traditions and a wonderful record is, indeed, a gala occasion , because it seems to mark the beginning of a new era in secondary education in the District in which it is located. The young people, the boys and girls, look upon an occasion of this kind
as the beginning of a new and an enlarging educational life for them, with improved facilities, more space and, in general, brighter and better accommodation. May I extend he-artiest felicita- tions to all who have had a part in providing better educational facilities for the people of this District.
Naturally, I am interested in the type of education which is provided for the future citizens of the Province of Ontario and above all, my special interest is in the welfare of these young people who must be prepared for useful and happy lives in a country and in a world where life becomes rather more complicated and more complex as the years go on. Delegations come to see me at least every week, and almost every day, and they all tell me (and I agree with them) that the time has come when we must give our attention to the basic fundamentals in education, to the essentials. True it is that the time has come for careful planning, the most careful planning, in order that we may practise economy without losing efficiency. Almost every- where in this Province I have been urging those who have been listening to me to remember that there are some subjects on the curricula of our schools which must not be neglected, which must not be crowded out even partially, but which must at all times be emphasized. Everyone knows what these subjects are but perhaps they may bear mention again and I do not hesitate to say that more and more attention must be devoted to the teaching and the study of English, Mathe- matics, Science, History, Geography, and Languages. I am not overlooking the fact that we are providin_g vocational education nor do I forget that we are teaching Music, Art, Shop Work, Home Economics, Physical Education and similar subjects which are useful and necessary and I have no thought that the teaching of these should be curtailed but I do insist that the basis of vocational education, for example, must always be a good academic foundation.
In brief, then, permit me to say that my ideal in education is that our system will pro- duce strong, rugged intelligent, right-thinking, religious, independent citizens who will be able to stand on their own feet, will take pride in hard work, and will not lose the pioneering spirit which enabled our forefathers to build up this Dominion of Canada which, we all a~ee, is the finest place in the world in which to live. And to this ideal, I know perfectly well that the Principal, the members of the Staff, and the Trustees who operate this Collingwood District Collegiate Institute will contribute the best they have in time, in thought and in energy.
My best wishes to all!
April 6th, 1954. Minister of Education.
W. J. DUNLOP.