How did you like school?
Are you of the mind that “what was good enough for me is good enough for children today?”
Not me, nor 12 adults who gathered from 100 Mile House, Forest Grove, Hawkins Lake, Gateway and 108 Mile House in September to talk about Education in British Columbia.
The teacher strike was just over, but issues between government and teachers were far from resolved. Class size and composition are still not in the teacher contract and special needs children still have lots of “needs” not being filled.
Teachers are still experiencing “teacher burn out” at an alarming rate because they see the needs and feel unable, under the current system, to meet them.
A document, “Stone Soup Dialogue on Education,” a compilation of thoughts and concerns generated during our dialogue, was created.
Those gathered felt “we should fund our schools according to our established value that children are important and they are the future decision makers of our country and of our world.”
Everyone present, mostly parents as well as retired teachers, librarians, a retired nurse, a building contractor and an architect, believed that “it is important to empower parents to drive the agenda of the public school system. We must help create the educated citizens that society needs while meeting the needs of students.
Daphne Bramham’s article in the Vancouver Sun on Sept. 15, 2014, stated “A growing body of economic research confirms that wealth isn’t the best predictor or guarantor of happy or healthy societies. What matters more is feeling connected, belonging and having a say … being a full citizen.” In the 1980s, a “deliberate replacement of citizen with taxpayer” began. She said, “Let’s insist that we aren’t just taxpayers, and politicians ought to be more than just bookkeepers.”
We think that “should government lose its appeal on the court case (to be decided this spring) involving class size and composition being stripped from the teacher contract, there needs to be public pressure applied on government not to appeal further.”
“Parents, educators, school district staff, school trustees, P.A.C.s, and all levels of government need to work together to create quality education in B.C. During the recent teacher strike the B.C. Liberal government informed the provincial P.A.C. that they should remain neutral in their support of the two “sides” – teachers or government. However, some school district staff and school trustees came out in support of the teachers’ quest for the financial support for schools to provide what students need. All stakeholders should be allowed to speak and act according to their own conscience, not silenced by government.”
Just what is our vision of a quality education? Our document is a beginning “dialogue.” You can access it at: stonesoupdialogue.wordpress.com.
Please read it and continue the dialogue. Honest dialogue informs action.
Barbara Hooper is a former classroom and special needs teacher in public and First Nations schools.
