CAPILANO COLLEGE

...communicates

Principal’s Newsletter

— Capilano College —

1770 Mathers Avenue, West Vancouver, B.C.

VOLUME 3 — NUMBER 4

APRIL, 1970

EDITORIAL

Don't shackle our colleges

..., they must be free to grow

Regional colleges, for many decades. an inde- pendent and important link between secondary school and universities in the United States, took a long time to be accepted by the government in British Columbia.

However, the log jam was broken in 1968 when Capilano college was granted permission to hold a plebiscite to open in available facilities. Other regions followed and many colleges are opening or will open shortly under these condi- tions.

As a pioneer in this situation, we feel Capilano can better assess the implications of the School Act revisions put through the present session of the Legislature.

The revised act prepares the way for vocation- al schools and colleges to work under one juris- _ diction. We find no fault with that. It simplifies the taxcollecting structure.

What we do seriously question is giving this jurisdiction to local school boards and the Depart-

ment of Education. It is regrettable when British Columbia waited so long for this post secondary facility it appears that it must now operate at the elementary and secondary jurisdigtional level.

Colleges must have independence to grow, to show leadership in the community, to experiment. We are not serving under-age youngsters. We are dealing with adults, moving out to-second and third year university or other institutions, or into the world of commerce.

In the United States college districts operate independently and have done so efficiently for many years. They are members of the post- secondary family and are in charge of their own fund-raising and programs.

All thoughtful educators must ask why British Columbia colleges have been placed in this old- fashioned stock.

ALFRED H. GLENESK

Principal