The first school bells of fall ring out today (Sept. 8) across Nanaimo.
We hope students from kindergarten to university are anticipating the semester with excitement rather than dread, because there’s a lot to look forward to every autumn in our school’s classrooms, hallways and playgrounds.
Even if we graduated many moons ago and have since forgotten long division and historical dates, there are important education issues in our community that affect us.
Back to school is a fine time, for example, to think about anti-bullying measures and setting an example and spreading the word. It’s also worthwhile to have conversations about mental health, especially with teenagers who can feel as though they carry the weight of the world at this time of their lives.
We were encouraged to see so many members of the community support the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation’s recent Stock the Lockers campaign to distribute school supplies to students in need. The foundation’s work is year-round, though, campaign or no campaign. There remain segments of the population that struggle to properly feed and clothe their children before sending them off to school in the morning, and maybe that isn’t our problem, or maybe it is.
Education is even an election issue, sort of. It isn’t a mandate of the federal government, but there are connections – the economy affects provincial transfer payments and immigration and infrastructure affect community demographics.
Here at home, Nanaimo neighbourhoods are again facing school closures and forced to rally. Any of us can have a say in the facilities, programs and strategies we think are important in our district.
Back to school is a chance to reflect on education and learning and acknowledge teachers and students. It’s worth putting so much into our schools because of what we get out of them.
