Previous QuestionNext Question
Jun 20, 2022 at 2:20 pm
School Trustee 73 - TEA1
Kamloops and District Labour Council asks:
Please describe the principles of public education and how education should be funded.
Candidate Answers
I beleive that education should have options for funding from public, private to homeschooling.
Funding should reward home schooling parents and provide greater support as school populations are growing and this removes stress off the system.
Another option is to build specialty schools like Isreal & Germany which provide trades & commerical education before grade 12 graduation. This model has shown huge success and economic growth. These schools also receive funding from employers that have jobs available for graduates therefore activating the private sector.
Public education should continue to be partly funded by local and provincial taxation in our K-12 . I do believe that more funding should be allocated to post secondary diplomas and degrees including trades for students that are having financial difficulties.
I also believe there should be a student loan forgiveness if a student goes into a field that we are critically lacking in, and locates to a part of our province for a duration that would assist that city, town or rural district get back to where it has no ongoing issues.
In my view, public education (Pre school - Grade 12) is something that should always be:
• Free
• Available to all (no discrimination to any person)
• An environment where all children are set to thrive
• Students are provided with all the up to date educational information
• A fun learning environment
Funding for education should still be allocated thru taxation from the provincial government, but we must look at how this money is being divided. I firmly believe at times the provincial government does play favourites depending on what city. Just in chatting with people over the last couple months, many people believe our School District has been neglected countless times.
Public Education should enable all students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Students who graduate should be equipped with literacy, numeracy, critical thinking and "soft" people skills such as the ability to communicate, the ability to adapt and the ability to be a responsible member of society.
Education is a public good that we all benefit from. All of the professionals that we depend on - doctors, nurses, tradespeople, first responders, etc. wouldn't be able to do their jobs without a basic education. Employers wouldn't have good employees without a robust education system. As such, it should remain being public funded. At question is if the funding is sufficient and is it equitable?
I believe that accessible education is every Canadian's right. Current and relevant methods of delivering information to students should be utilized and every student should be able to partake free of discrimination.
Funding should be provided through Federal and Provincial levels but we may need to lobby for more. Not only are many of our schools overloaded with students, but there are often shortages in support staff.
We would greatly benefit by having student loans forgiven or for having subsidies for local students pursuing secondary education - especially healthcare workers, tradespeople, teachers, social workers, or other sectors that are suffering from a lack of employees. This would be a Federal initiative but we can begin lobbying at a municipal level.
Public education should be:
1. Available & accessible for all
2. Engaging students
3. Relevant and rigirous
4. Meaningful feedback/assessment
5. Responsive to students' strengths and interests
6. Funded publically
Public education is an investment in our society, economy, and future. I want to ensure our students are receiving the skills, tools, and support they need to eventually support us.