Demand for
alternatives
is growing

Economic, social and technological
changes have put incrcased demands
on our public education system,
which is batiling to keep pace. With
dwindling resources and increased
demands put.on educators, the pri-
vate sector, whether through influ-
ence vr involvement, is playing a
larger rale in education.

BECAUSE IT affects everyone,
education is one of the most sen- .
Sitive areas of public debate.
Suggestions of educational

“reform are often met with harsh
condemnation.

By Kevin Gillies
Contributing Writer -

; But t public eduicition cost B.C.

taxpayers $3.782 billion for the 1994-
95 school year.

» The government spent an addi-
‘tional $106 million funding 334 inde-
pendent schools in the province. That
equates fo an approximate expense of
$1,110: for ‘every: man, women and
child “in*the province — .for one:
-School 5 year.
The: bulk of the $3.7 billion
$3. 258 billion — went to running the
public.” ‘elementary and secondary |
“schools: An additional $524 million
att ‘the Education Ministry and fund-
ed capital costs -—- which included the
construction of 22 ‘new schools and

renovations to others: — for the pub- ,
‘lic education system.

“These. expenditures represent an
incréase ‘of almost. $1 billion, since
1989-90, which averages. out to an
‘annual increase of $168 million,
*z.Canada’ spends ‘more money

. ($34. 4 billion). when- measured
-against its Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), on. edtication than’ most
“industrial nations. :

“, Recent reports showed Canada as
having the second highest education
spending (7.4% of “GDP) in the
‘world.::
coeNet, in the: 199] International
Assessment of Educational Progress’
(AEP) random sampling of students”
knowledge of science and 'mathemat-

JORTH: VANCOUVER District 44 school
‘trustees have shot down a plan to establish a
traditional school j in North Vancouver.

" SCHOOL BOARD

By Kevin Gillies

The North Vancouver Alternate Schoo! Committee
NVASC), which is pushing for the school, was told at
‘the: March 14 District 44 board meeting that trustees

-don’t Support the committee’s plans.

Committee member ‘Deborah Kitson approached
the board to ask for its support and the help of district
inistration in finding an appropriate venue for the

posed school."

‘InJanuary: board members unanimously rejected
NVASC’s proposal for a traditional school located

Total (ave.) 45:
Sweden 7
Canada

Netherlands
Denmark
Norway

United States f.
Finland j
Australia §
Belgium §

United Kingdom fig.6%

Austria J

Japan

‘France fl

Haly WG

. Switzerland Fz
__ West Germany

GNP Percentage. o

ics. Canada finished ninth out of 20
countries, : ;
This, coupled with extraordinary

’ provincial and federal deficits and
debts, is putting enormous pressure.

on Canada’s public education system.

The North Shore, for example,
accounted for approximately $124
million of B.C. public education's
“block funding” expenditure this
year,

Cost per pupil i in the North Shore
schoo! districts is about $5,900.

Some private schools receive par-

_ tial funding from the government and

tuition can be as high as $6,000 fora
10-month school year.

But West Vancouver School
District 45 (WVSD) and North
Vancouver School District 44
(NVSD) students also scored the
highest and second-highest marks
this year in provincial testing respec-
tively.

Both districts are telling barome-
ters of how the private sector's
involvement in- public education is
increasing to keep pace with rapidly
changing social needs.

WVSD's’ highly controversial
Sentine! Development Office recog-
nized the diminishing resources crisis

by working outside the parameters of

government funding to finance stu-

ogg’

NEWS graphic Linda Douglas
dents’ educational needs.

WVYSD has a working rapport
with the business community through
its corporate partnerships,

A good example of this relation-
ship is the district's partnerships with
computer companies.

The computer companies supply
‘hardware, software and some instruc-
tional aid.

Students leam the cutting edge of
technology, the school district's costs
are reduced in that area (for the prod-
ucts and services they receive) and
the companies produce a computer-
literate society along with potential
employees.

NVSD also has a career waining
program involving local businesses.

North Vancouver Superintendent
of Schools Dr. Robin Brayne said the
district recognizes an ‘eroding of

local input,”
B.C.’s public education system.”

‘Therefore. the board of trustees is
‘examining a draft proposal to estab-

_ lish local schoo! councils for all of the
district’s public schools.

This move by the NVSD stole
‘much of the thunder from a parent-
‘driven proposal to establish a tradi-

tional school in North Vancouver that
would have a “local council" as its
centrepiece,

at the Cloverly Elementary School site.
Trustees had ‘cited additional costs. no available
space and a luck of “significant differences”

from

established public school programs as reasons for

rejecting the proposal.

' — But trustees had left the door open for further dis-
cussion — through an amendment to the motion —~ on
issues not considered by the board or underlying con-*

cerns of the parents.
Kitson asked the board for a formal response to the
question: “Do you ‘support the North Vancouver

tive school.

Alternative School in principle?” and asked for sup-
port from the administration in_ setting up an alterna-

Most trustees replied by saying no. .
Trustee Rick Buchols said, “I thought the staff's
original report was quite clear that there is no space.”
Kitson said the committee wants to work coopera-
tively with the district to set up a program that may

involve using a few classroomis.in various locations,

the only option.

instead of a K-7 program in one location, if that was

or “centralization in.

Sunday, March 26, 1995 — North Shore News - 3

GUTSIDE PRESSURES on
the public’ schoo) system are
driving up the cost of educa-
Hon ala time when resources
are diminishing. As federal
and the provincial govern-
ments are focusing on debt
financing, the economic situa
tion is bad news for the big
three —- health, social services
and education, The public debt
is high and funding will dimin-
ish, Demands on the public
purse from the education sys-
tem will increase us inimigra-
tion and inclusion policies
require more resources, Educal
mer Year 2000 initiative, have
pirents, teachers and. school

being proposed or established i
in terms of final provincial exé

Kevin
Gillies

requiring
reporter

Uional reforms. including the for-
come under close scrutiny from
districts. Traditional schools are
n many B.C. school districts. Yet
amination marks, West Vancouver

School District 45 and North Vancouver School Distriet 44 rank

as the two highest.

Do you consider yourself

well served

Beverley Hi.

North Vancouver ;
No. ! don’t think children are

cared for the way they used to be

cared for. | think there should be

more discipline.

Christy Cruikshank
North Vancouver.

1 think public education
should be administered from the
national level so standards are
equal across the country.

Perera

i
ig Ea: S
fe ae EAR EAI

Horseshve Bey
Dundarave/Ambleside

e British Properties

38) ~ Norgate/Pemberton Heights
Capilano/Delbrook Highlands
Lower Lonsdale
Central and Upper Lonsdale
Lynn Vailey

Blueridge/Deep Cove

by the

public school system?

_ Lynda Annibal
North Vancouver =~
I'm pleased with my daugh-

ter’s school and } think the sys-. - |

tem is running well. They pay a
_ fot of attention to the kids.

‘Trent Hagerman‘
North Vancouver

As a younger student there |

were a lot-of resources but as I
entered high’ school I noticed’ |

less money was available and we.

were charged for extracurricular
"activities.

NO NO DON’ 7
OPINION . KNOW

18% 0% a%

14%. 71% 14%

35% 6% 6% ‘

21% 6% 0% =.

28% 9%. 3%

Bik 8% 15%

24% 0%

68% 2s Ws

80% 16% 2%

68% 22% 6%

82%
65%
53%
67%
0%
46%
16%