Introduction
In 1997, the Provincial Government reduced the number of school boards from 27 to 10. In 2004, the number was reduced to four English and one French school board. On March 26, 2013, the Minister of Finance announced that, as of September, the province would have two school boards, one would be English and the other one would be a French board. What does this mean for parents, students, teachers, school board members, and business?
Business
Business will notice the difference because major purchasing will be streamlined. Business owners will have less access to board members and school board officials.
School-based decisions may be less controlled than they were in the past because the school-board offices will be further away and unable to control school administrator decisions as much as they were in the past.
School Board Members
Five school boards meant sufficient local representation. Now with two school boards some things will change for the English population only. The French school board has always been a provincial board, thus their stakeholders will not see any change.
Individuals who enjoyed school board governance will find their opportunities to do so dramatically reduced. For fiscal reasons, boards may not be able to meet as frequently as they did in the past. Also, much more of the school business will be conducted via electronic means.
How that will hamper team building, break down board members’ needs to protect the interests of their regions, and affect the role of the CEO is yet to be determined.
Teachers
In reality, many teachers have very little interaction with their school boards. Therefore, they will not really notice much of a change on a daily basis. In fact, they may welcome more school-based control of education.
Contract negotiations have always been provincial and that will not change. Mobility opportunities for teachers may be enhanced while promotional opportunities will be diminished due to the elimination of several layers of administration at district offices.
Parents
Parents have one main interest and that is the quality of their children’s education. That should not change because the Department of Education has always been responsible for curriculum development and educational standards.
The second issue is busing. Given the realization that certain children travel up to one and one-half hours per day to and from school, parents will continue to be vigilant in this matter.
The third issue relates to the ability of their children to benefit from virtual schooling methods. As enrolments decline, many subjects may not be able to be offered by a teacher who is physically present with students. Parents may not feel equipped to provide the support they think their children need in order to complete programs required for post-secondary access.
Access to school board members may be an issue for parents who do not live near their representatives or have ready access to electronic means of communication. The turn out for school board elections is historically low, therefore, it can be assumed that many parents are not aware of the names of the school board members or what the school board achieves on their behalf. For those parents who frequently contact their school board members, they will have to find creative ways to make their voices heard. The media has always taken an active interest in education and open-line shows always field calls from concerned citizens. This avenue may be utilized more in the future.
Students
Most students do not really concern themselves with governance issues. They become active when issues related to transportation or school closures directly pertain to them. That will not change in the future.
The main concern for students will continue to be declining enrolments and how that will affect their education. They will be noting which courses they can do with the assistance of a teacher and which they will complete via electronic means. Generally, though most students will not really notice that the number of school boards has been reduced.
For students entering the system in September 2013, it will be the only norm they know.
Final Comment
It would be interesting to hear about the experiences of people in other jurisdictions. Please write your story here.
