By Adam Donnelly

Kamloops meeting to discuss future of rural education

Feb 28, 2017 | 1:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Tuesday night, area residents will get their say regarding the future of rural education in the province. The Henry Grube Centre will host one of nine open houses happening in BC, meant to gather input from communities about the status of rural education and the vision for its future.

The meeting is part of the provincial government’s plan to evaluate  rural education throughout the province, and decide how it can be improved. School District 73 Superintendent Alison Sidow says there are many benefits for students in rural communities, such as familiarity with teachers. She also says there are specific challenges when it comes to offering students students the same opportunities as their counterparts in bigger centres.

“It’s difficult to provide some of the upper-level academic courses,” Sidow explained, adding “Typically, it costs more to educate students in rural communities, because of the lower ratio of students to teachers, so funding continues to be a concern.”

Superintendent Sidow says technology is one way to bridge the gap between rural and urban schools, but reliable internet can be an issue. For many rural students, transportation is also a potential barrier to accessing the educational programs offered throughout the district.

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“Transportation is an issue, particularly for students and families who want their children to experience some of the programming we offer in the Kamloops community,” Sidow says.

Tonight’s meeting is scheduled to start at 6:00 through to 8:00 at the Henry Grube Centre.