The first day of school brings new energy to our little community. The summer learning hibernation is over and it’s back to the business of educating our youth.
Whether you have school-aged children or not, the first week of September is an important one.
In the classroom, the 2012-13 school year begins on a much more positive note than 12 months ago when the BC Teachers’ Federation began the term on strike. Though teachers soldiered on for what turned out to be the entire school year, it was clearly a challenge for all involved.
With the strike now over, the bad blood between the province and the union still lingers. Adding to the stress at the local level is a declining student population which led to announced staff reductions by the Kootenay Lake School District board this past spring.
All of the labour struggles and balancing act by local trustees is everybody’s business. When the intensity of the provincial election ramps up this coming April, education will be a major issue. It will be up to the voters to determine which path is the best for the public system.
Politics was the farthest thing on the minds of the eager and nervous kids that entered the hallways of their schools Tuesday morning. For the children of this community, what they want is to be inspired to learn by the teachers we trust to shape their minds.
There is a bottom line when it comes to education. All things taxpayer-supported requires proper fiscal management. But when it comes to educating our future, all involved must ensure the most important line item to focus on is those who sitting in the desks ready to learn.
Good luck to all students, parents, teachers and administrators in the coming school year.