Education Minister Rob Fleming (Image Credit: Flickr / Government of BC)

By Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Government’s back-to-school plan should have come much sooner

Sep 4, 2020 | 11:30 AM

THE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND often represents one final weekend of summer vacation for kids and families before we settle into another school year. Unfortunately for families across British Columbia, this Labour Day weekend may not be the much-needed break we need as it comes with a whole new set of anxieties.

For households across School District 73 and British Columbia as a whole, this weekend is the last moment to finalize our family plans and prepare our kids for what will undoubtedly be one of the most challenging school years we have ever faced. There are going to be many challenges ahead and the work is far from done, but we can’t talk about a back-to-school plan without recognizing the unbelievable work of our public health officials as well as the teachers and staff at our schools who have worked tirelessly to prepare.

Unfortunately, we have yet to see the same commitment and dedication from Education Minister Rob Fleming and the NDP government. Considering that this government claims to have been working on a plan since March, and also considering that other provinces have had back-to-school plans in place as early as June, the lack of guidelines and supports as well as unrealistic timeframe the NDP have given parents and families to prepare our children’s return to school, is completely unacceptable.

As opposition MLAs, we have been closely engaged with our school districts and constituents and advocating for real and timely action on their behalf. We have heard from families across B.C. that are looking for flexibility and greater distance learning options to protect their children or family members who may be immune-compromised. On July 6, Leader of the Official Opposition Andrew Wilkinson and our Education Critic MLA Dan Davies wrote to the government calling for greater distance learning options and supports, including reinstating the $12 million in funding removed from Independent Distributed Learning (IDL) programs back in May at a time when distance learning options have never been more crucial for our children’s learning.

When the federal government announced $242 million in funding to help aid the reopening of B.C. schools, we immediately wrote to the minister for a clear outline and plan on how they intend to allocate this funding. We were happy to see that this government has chosen to implement many of our recommendations, including funding for more distance learning options as well as for PPE supplies and health supports for classrooms, but were disappointed to see their refusal to reinstate the funding to IDL.

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With classes scheduled to resume on September 10, these next few weeks will be crucial for students, teachers, and families. I will continue to raise the concerns of both families and educators to this government and advocate on behalf of everyone here in Kamloops-North Thompson, just as my colleagues in the BC Liberal Caucus will be doing in their constituencies across British Columbia.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.