“They” in the misquote below refers to the provincial government.
First they came for School District 21. And I did not speak out because they said bigger was better and it would save money
Then they came for Kingfisher and Seymour Arm schools. And I did not speak out because these were not my communities and they said bigger was better and it would save money.
Then they came for Salmon Arm Elementary, Malakwa school, and Ashton Creek Elementary. And I did not speak out because these were not my communities and they said bigger was better and it would save money.
Then they came for robust libraries and sufficient school counsellors. And I did not speak out because I was not a librarian or a counsellor and they said bigger was better and it would save money.
Then they came for Grindrod, Silver Creek school, and Armstrong Elementary. And I did not speak out because I was not from those communities and they said bigger was better and it would save money.
Then they came for my neighborhood school, and there was no one left to speak out for my community.
I believe every trustee ran for office to help improve the education system in their community. The provincial government and teachers signed a long term contract to create peace in the system.
Every year, the squeeze is put on school districts to find cuts and trustees are forced to do their dirty work. How long can this squeezing continue? What will the end result be if this provincial government strategy is allowed to continue to its conclusion? Is this strategy designed to create private schools for the elite and financially starved public schools for the common folk?
Neighbourhoods are pitted against each other, school staff and programs are pitted against each other and hard feelings are created. This is not a healthy educational climate in my view.
These are Hobson’s choices. Close this school or that one. This is a divide and conquer strategy which causes stress and hard feelings.
There is another choice. Don’t close either one. They are functioning extremely well and meeting the needs of the students and the community.
Bigger is not better when it comes to education. There are false economies of scale. The assertion that programs are saved by having bigger schools in my opinion is not necessarily true.
By creating bigger and bigger schools each student gets less opportunity to shine.
Fewer kids are on sports teams, fewer receive special education help, and fewer are in the school play, and more kids fade into the background and fall through the cracks.
This can create costs in the future for jails, mental health support, and employment problems.
I realize that, at this time, enrolment is decreasing in many communities.
At the same time, I realize that the needs of each student are increasing. The new provincially mandated curriculum rightfully calls for more individualized/personalized learning for every student, not less.
Perhaps a school that is 75 per cent full is a good thing. Quality education must not be compared to a factory model.
I believe it is time for trustees all over the province, who are facing the same divisive dilemma every year, to stand up to the provincial government, and demand adequate funding for quality education in B.C.
Kim Fulton, former teacher, librarian and administrator, Len Wood, Armstrong Elementary and Ashton Creek
