What in tarnation could have happened to all of our kids? We’ve lost so many that closing 12 schools in Regina over the next decade makes sense to school boards???
My real guess is that they’ve learned a new way to fold children, so they take up 1/2 the space. Watch Regina’s “communities” be crushed further under the heel of corporate amalgamation-management. I guess they are trying to duplicate the success of North Central’s community in the rest of the city?
“Together, we can renew quality public education in Regina over the next 10 years.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the quality of a closed school is 0.
“The plan also calls for the redesign of 11 schools and 18 program mergers. Also homeowners would see a less than one percent increase to their property taxes. ”
Wow! Finally an admission I can agree with. Closing schools increases taxes.
The Plan involves 18 program mergers, the addition of one dual-track French
Immersion program, with 12 elementary and two high school facility closures. At the conclusion of the Plan, it is anticipated that Regina Public Schools will operate 35 elementary and eight high schools. Discussions regarding a potential southeast high school are also contemplated.
I’m sure that many people think that what the RBE is doing (PDF) will improve education for children, but my experience and those of several people who have left comments on other school-closure articles I’ve posted indicate that education is harmed. There’s also a good indication from past closures that nothing will be saved in taxes, even though fewer facilities are operated. Where does that money go?
UPDATE: People are starting to press for positive change.
Sean S. | 30-Nov-07 at 10:41 am | Permalink
I would suggest that closing smaller schools and moving those students to larger schools increases the quality of education. This is done by being able to offer a more diverse range of classes, increased special ed support, ESL programs, etc… not to mention the social schooling of having to deal with a larger group of students.
I will echo your question of where are the operational savings going to with the planned closures? However, is that 1% increase over the lifetime of the plans implementation? If the plan is to take 5-10 years to complete than a 1% raise over that timeframe is small.
Listening to the reports on CBC radio this morning you could have sworn that it was about rural school closings by the reaction of some parents. Having grown up in large S. Ontario schools I don’t really see larger schools being detrimental to the students.
Catelli | 30-Nov-07 at 12:23 pm | Permalink
Acknowledging I’m far removed from this issue:
I wonder how much neighborhood demographics plays into this? We have the problem in our community where schools are in neighborhoods where families don’t live anymore. They did 20-30 years ago, but the kids moved away and the neighborhood is mostly retired seniors. Where the families are now in a different area fo the city.
Its funny, until I had kids I didn’t notice this clustering effect, but all over Cambridge you’ll find neighborhoods with almost no children and neighborhoods like mine where everyone has kids. Based on observation, it seems to follow development, newer subdivisions attract younger families whereas established neighborhoods attract more mature childless couples looking for peace and quiet. Unfortunately the schools don’t move and follow the patterns of the shifting communities.
As I qualified earlier, I don’t know how much this affects Regina, but until I witnessed it, this shifting demographic issue never even occurred to me.
Saskboy1 | 30-Nov-07 at 12:52 pm | Permalink
Interesting question Catelli.
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Sean S “by being able to offer a more diverse range of classes, increased special ed support, ESL programs, ”
I have to disagree because that’s not correct, Sean. There was special education support in my K, Grade 1 and 2 classroom in 1984-86 and there were about 18 children in the room. ESL programs and diverse classes have been offered over satellite to small schools (including large city ones who can’t attract the right teachers) since at least 1997. I took a satellite calculus class, and the quality was there, I got a 79 in that class, and at the UofR ended up with a 94 in the same subject the next semester.
“not to mention the social schooling of having to deal with a larger group of students.”
Which is an argument both for, and against larger schools. Have you got any other concrete reasons?
Saskboy1 | 30-Nov-07 at 12:55 pm | Permalink
“Listening to the reports on CBC radio this morning you could have sworn that it was about rural school closings by the reaction of some parents.”
Do you know why? It’s because the closure of schools, rural or urban, means the death of a community center. A new community may be born out of the change, or no no community will form, and you’ll be left with a group of commuters, not a group community.
Sarah | 04-Dec-07 at 8:57 am | Permalink
As horrible as this is (and absolutely ridiculous- TWELVE schools?!), maybe this is what is needed for Saskatchewan residents to start working together to ensure that the future of their children is being taken care of. There has always been a huge split between rural and urban, in my experience, and maybe this will give them some common ground. Maybe people (both rural and urban) will be able to see that it’s not just affecting their own children, but children across the province. Maybe instead of recruiting people from other provinces, the government should try keeping the people that they have…but wait a minute! They couldn’t do that! It would be effective, efficient, and display a brand of common sense that just isn’t acceptable once you’re in office…
Chris McDougall | 25-Jan-08 at 3:21 pm | Permalink
I don’t really have a strong opinion on the school closures, but I’d like to use this opportunity to share a few hear-say pieces of info.
1. A friend of mine advised that a kindergarten teacher at Thompson School in Regina’s core area gets an extra annual budget of $150 for school supplies and outings (ouch… $150 for a whole year?).
2. Another friend of mine who is involved with the United Way told me that the United Way estimates about 1,000 kids in Regina’s inner city are not attending school and Regina’s system does not officially recognize this because these kids, for various reasons, are moving almost every month. Thus, there is no school specifically noticing they’re not in class and there is no official statistic that recognizes this issue.
Both of my above points are hear-say, so please take them with a grain of salt (although I find the 2nd one to be very believable; most people who have done any long-term volunteer work in Regina’s inner city would agree). My reason for stating the above 2 points is not to debate the school closure issue, but to encourage readers who have some extra time in their week to get involved in some inner city programs targeted at helping kids. Hey, if you’ve been thinkin’ about it, or if what’s going on in “the hood” has been bothering you enough to consider trying to offer some help, opportunity’s a-waitin’. These kids need people to stand in the gap for them. Maybe that’s you…
Cheers,