Like most parents and grandparents, I see public education as the cornerstone of the free and open society that has defined us for most of our history.
We have not perhaps properly acknowledged that equality of learning opportunity was the great driver that made North American society so prosperous from its beginnings.
It’s no mere coincidence that states like Virginia and Pennsylvania adopted free, universal public education in 1776, that year of momentous change. Upholding that ideal is my sole motivation to serve as an elected trustee.
We can start by asking how we can do things better? How can we remake our schools into the cornerstones of the community they once were, in an age when most of the population doesn’t have children attending school? Can the home-school divide be made seamless again? Can schools help bridge the culture and age gaps in our society? In this era of instant information, how can we raise lifelong learners who not only seek answers, but also test those answers against their own and shared experiences? How can we nourish that innate curiosity that springs up in every youngster, so that it will endure and grow in them for a lifetime?
Our school board and trustees can only provide part of the answers, but it’s an essential part.
Chris can be reached via email at chrisaikman@shaw.ca throughout the campaign.