QUEBEC

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
September 16-19, 1984. Montreal.

This Congress, the first of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in North America, will be held under the auspices of the Comité de 1a protection de 1a jeunesse, the proincial protection agency of Quebec.

The congress will focus on the need for collective community responsibility in preventing child abuse and neglect. If you wish to attend, submit a paper or want further information, contact Child Abuse Congress Secretariat, 3450 University Street, Montreal, H3A 2A7,
(514) 392-6744.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
N.T.A. FEEDBACK

TO W.E.D.F:

In response to your request in Women's Education, September '83 for feedback on what effects the National Training Act has had on women in my area, I offer you the following comments: The colleges and institutes in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, B.C. that have accessed funds from the skills growth fund of the National Training Act have, to my knowledge -

1. continued to offer the programs on a full-time daytime basis, thus eliminating a
   great majority of women;
2. not made any effort to attract women to these programs in their advertising
   efforts, i.e., no mention made of 30% of spaces reserved for women;
3. I have not noticed any increase in women enrolled in any programs funded
   through the National Training Act;
4. there have been, over the last six months, cancellations of Employment Preparation/Bridging programs specifically designed for women mainly because of the new ruling in B.C. that newly funded programs need large numbers of C.E.I.C. purchases before they are approved by the B.C. Ministry of Education.

In conclusion, from my viewpoint as an administrator of Continuing Education and Adult Basic Education programs at a B.C. Community College, the National Training Act has not made any significant impact to improve the availability and accessibility of education to women.

Sincerely,

Susan Witter,
Associate Dean,
Continuing and Developmental Education.