Trustees from School Boards across Northern BC are preparing for Saturday’s forum on rural education.
The original plan was for local MLA’s and Minister of Education Peter Fassbender to attend.
Though Dawson Creek’s Mike Bernier took over Fassbender’s position this summer, SD57 Vice Chair Tim Bennett says Bernier has confirmed his attendance.
“Our board has not had an opportunity to meet with Minister Bernier yet… being from Northern BC, we really hope that he will have a good understanding of some of the challenges we face in Northern BC.”
Though much of the time will be dedicated to discussing concerns and strategies for tackling rural schooling, Trustees have praised the efforts of staff and educators in many of the schools.
But the hardest working staff can’t make always make up for a lack of resources and a specific set of challenges.
“Most of our districts across the North are facing declining or at least levelling enrolment. When you have a funding structure based on per-pupil funding, it means districts have to find ways to do more with less,” says Bennett, “The cost of maintaining our facilities are also very different. We have ageing facilities that cost more to heat, cost more to maintain, there’s snow removal, and we really need to find a way to ensure that the North is getting a fair share of capital dollars.”
The forum runs this Saturday in Prince George.
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