Education sees some big changes

A new school year has begun in Kings County and it's likely many parents and probably a decent number of kids are thrilled as all get-out. But it's barely a week old and we see issues and uncertainty even at this early stage.

First, Dr. Norm Dray, School Board Superintendent, announced his retirement before classes even started, taking many people by surprise. We weren't, because he had made it clear when he arrived he would likely serve for three years -- and that was it. Indeed, his announcement came approximately three years to the day.

Dray will conclude his work with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board in February, 2009. It seems like a long way off, but it's really only a small window within which to initiate and conclude a search for his replacement.

Indeed, it will be no small task to find a new superintendent. Many may aspire to the position, but this board particularly needs someone with vision and creativity, especially in light of greater fiscal restraints in the offing.

A notice dated Sept. 3 was sent home from board chair Lavinia Parrish-Zwicker and Dray to all parents with students in the AVRSB suggesting that the 2008-2009 budget process was difficult and several reductions in services had to be made to balance the budget. The board

avoided making any school-based cuts to staff this year, but the notice says if the funding for education doesn’t improve in the next budget year, “that will not be the case again.”

It also says, “we will, as always, make every effort to minimize the impact on students.” Amen to that.

So the board has to find Dray’s replacement and contend simultaneously with shrinking fiscal resources. To our view that’s a double whammy.

However, the news is a little better from the provincial

Education Department, which heralded the commencement of the new school year by applauding compulsory Phys. Ed. in high school, enhanced co-op education for more hands-on learning opportunities, and the arrival of

2,000 more Primary students than last year.

We concur that physical education is a priority in a society that is becoming more and more sedentary. We commend the addition of three new physical education courses in high school and requiring that students entering Grade 10 this year must have a Phys. Ed. credit to graduate in 2011.

We think also that co-op programs pay huge dividends by expanding learning opportunities and supplementing classroom activity with practical experience. It’s a win-win that Community Colleges have provided for years and it’s good to see the public school system introduce it into their curriculum.

Finally, 2,100 four-year-olds were eligible to attend public school now that children who have their fifth birthday on or before Dec. 31 can enter Primary. It’ll mean a huge savings for parents who had been paying for daycare and allow children the chance to begin their educations sooner. We suspect as well that the inclusion is as much a numbers game for school boards in that provincial funding is predicated on enrollment. Higher numbers translate into dollars, which brings us back to one of the AVRSB's primary concerns.

We wonder though if four-year-olds are ready for ‘big school.’

Teachers participated in professional training sessions to accommodate the needs of these new students and although some may argue there’s little difference intellectually between a four and a five-year-old, we beg to differ. Intelligence quotient is one thing; emotional and social development are entirely different matters and this is where we might expect the most significant challenges within the new initiative.

Still, education at any level is beneficial and we support the

changes, with a modicum of reservation and a healthy wait-and-see attitude. We await as well the evolution and successful resolution of the circumstances facing the AVRSB, especially when dollars are tight and the demand for quality education is high.