By ROY WOOD
The same pressure that led to the province releasing the rural education report needs to continue to ensure that it isn’t swept away and forgotten, says an Osoyoos town councillor.
The report, commissioned by the former Liberal government and co-authored by Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson, was quietly released earlier this month by education minister Rob Fleming.
The report found, among other things, that “stable and predictable funding is critical for education” and that funding based solely on enrolment levels doesn’t reflect the higher costs incurred in rural districts.
Councillor Mike Campol, who is council’s liaison with the school district, told council today that he has been studying the report and wondering why it took such pressure to get it released.
“It was a pretty in-depth report,” he said, “and the only reason I can think of not to release it is that you weren’t planning to do anything with it.”
The report was released only after pressure was exerted by school boards and councils across the province.
“The same pressure needs to continue so that to make sure it becomes a living, breathing document that is utilized and to look at some of the recommendations,” he said.
The report was commissioned in 2016 following the crisis that saw Osoyoos Secondary School and several others threatened with closure because of lack of funding resulting from declining enrolments.