Dear Editor,
Re: Alberta’s students must come first, June 25
It concerned me when our finance minister wagged his chin to compliment those in the educational system; that will not improve things. What the system needs is some financial support so educators can provide a quality education.
My understanding is that Alberta has the lowest funded system, per capita, in the country, so there is room for financial improvement.
In a recent letter to my local MLA, I asked this question: “If you employed a skilled worker to come and do a job in your house and they did not have the adequate supplies or the tools to do the job, how satisfied do you think you would be with the result?”
I got a generic reply that he had more things than he could deal with so I replied, “Then now you know (maybe he hasn’t made the connection) the situation of many teachers.”
That is the situation in many schools so the students, our future professionals, business and trades people, are not getting the quality education to prepare them for their path in life. This is not about more benefits to the teachers, but to the students, so they can fully develop their talents and abilities for a successful path through life.
Without adequate supplies and the equipment to do the job, it makes it difficult to get good results. I know that from my 75 years of woodworking. This is the teachers’ situation.
Also, the number of students that are assigned to any class adds to the problem. A teacher with an overload of assignments to evaluate might have difficulty spending the necessary time on each one. An overloaded class in a workshop means students are waiting for assistance and waiting for tools and equipment because the shop was not designed for the numbers.
I am sure there are many more examples, but I think I have shown my support for a quality education system.
Please support our teachers.
Richard Ellum
Okotoks
