Recently a city councillor who is also a former teachers’ union representative communicated a fairly negative opinion on our British Columbia education system.
While a negative opinion is not uncommon in local newspapers, in this case I believe that many positive advancements funded by taxpayer’s have been overlooked.
Residents in Penticton and Oliver will know that government has invested many millions of dollars for Penticton Secondary and South Okanagan Secondary schools.
These investments are to ensure these facilities offer the very best learning environment for our children.
Likewise kids throughout the Okanagan are now playing on new playgrounds at our schools after decades old and neglected play time infrastructure was replaced after being ignored previously.
Locally many schools are offering the Ready, Set, Learn and Strong Start programs. These help better prepare our youngsters for future learning.
The Strong Start program in particular has been very well received by children, parents and grandparents alike.
The program also helps make use of underutilized classroom space as a result of declining enrolment.
All-day kindergarten is another major investment that is intended to help encourage and enhance early learning opportunities.
Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the importance of investing in education at an early age precisely as is now becoming a reality in British Columbia today.
That said, these investments do not come without significant expense to taxpayers.
It should also be noted that increased tax dollars have not only been invested in upgrading older schools and playgrounds, including increased program offerings but teachers themselves also received a 16 per cent hike in wages and benefits, plus a $4,000 signing bonus in the last five-year contract.
Province wide student achievement continues to rise with completion rates up across the board.
These include special needs and aboriginal students.
Locally students in School Districts 67 and 23 are either at or in most cases well above provincial averages.
This is in large part due to the excellent work that our teachers do in the classroom.
Bill Barisoff is the MLA for Penticton.
