4 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Opinion Independent schools may be the answer The Battle River School Division is looking to shut down schools in Hardisty, Round Hill, and Holden to save money, as the viability of public schools seems dependent solely on enrollment in this day and age. Just last year, Elk Island Public Schools shut down the Andrew High School, leaving the older students with long bus rides, and to arrive as strangers at new schools in Vegreville or Lamont. It’s a story told in rural Alberta, over and over again. But should it be? I guess that depends if our educational system is considered an essential service like health care, policing, or emergency rescue personnel. Certainly in a society with the wealth we enjoy, there is give and take so that no matter where you live there is an entitlement to essential services. In some places, massive revenues can be enjoyed, while in others sometimes losses. It averages out. That’s what we do in a society, and we do it because of compassion. Closing schools doesn’t mean children aren’t still provided with their education. They are. In fact, the children and teachers are sent to larger schools, usually with better facilities and opportunities. But the move isn’t all for the children’s betterment. If it were, would we have public meetings filled with angry parents and community leaders trying to change the mind of school boards? There doesn’t seem to be the same compassion as in other essential services when the school board bean-counters decide to board up rural schools. In that sense it isn’t treated essential at all. Rural schools are public gathering places. They’re where parents go to cheer on their children playing sports. It’s the first place where people develop a sense of pride in their rural community. Rural schools are where teachers and parents know one another. They are places where parents recognize other parents’ children, and watch out for them. Quiet, shy, unassuming children don’t get lost and engulfed in the mass of student bodies in rural schools. Rural schools are where friends are made, sometimes lifelong friends. In rural schools, often the same children have been clinging to one another for friendship and support since the days when they had to get on their tiptoes to take a drink from the water fountain. Suddenly separating these children from the tight bond and convenience of their local rural schools, and subjecting them to sometimes a couple of hours a day riding the yellow shaker seems contrary to the productive routines we otherwise implore upon children. Most people realize that when a school board has announced possible closures and have set up public meetings, it is just to appease the critics. They have no intention to reverse their course of action. Ultimately, independent schooling might be best direction for rurals as public schools continue to centralize to larger cities. In BC, a third of independent schools are located rurally. In Ontario, almost half of independent schools have less than 50 students and 75 percent have less than 150. In Alberta, charter schools which operate independently of local school districts receive the same funding on a per-student-basis that is granted to local public schools. Is it the answer? Not sure. Are small rural schools essential? Darn tootin’. Kerry Anderson
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letter for Religion meeting confiscated Dear Editor This is a copy of the letter which was confiscated from the Religion Students. It was hand printed by our Religion Coordinator. To the Parents Dear Parents, as you know the religion classes,
Bible Studies and Catholic, are possibly going to be offered as a lunch and learn (during the lunch hour) or an extracurricular activity. We want to know if you are willing to support us by meeting on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm at the
Alliance Church. We would like to keep classes during school time. Fr. Kris, our Catholic pastor, will be there as well as leaders from the Alliance Church. Yours Truly Bible Study and Catholic Teachers
Quit submitting letters to the editor, or they won’t negotiate Dear Editor: Our support is with letters in your paper regarding Lamont Elementary school’s agenda, to remove religious studies from school. We have been told that if we continue voicing our opinion in this way, the school administration will not co-operate with us to negotiate their options. The two options they offered are teaching dur-
ing lunch break or after school. Neither of the options are in the students’ best interests, because they need a lunch break for a balance of work/rest/play; nor is it financially practical to pay staff to stay after school or add travel costs to families, etc. Unfortunately, the initial decision to remove the religious studies during class time was non-nego-
tiable from the beginning. The religion instructors are volunteers. For the majority of the time, teachers’ aids provide support in the classroom while teachers can use the time for other preparations. We wish to tell our community the truth of what happened on Thursday February 27, 2020. Continued on Page 5
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