To the Editor,
Re: School district janitorial services subject to sweeping review, Nov. 1.
I’m a Grade 12 student.
I’ve attended classes at five different district high schools all over Nanaimo, and let me tell you, the $50,000 that will be left after the independent review is nowhere near enough to fix the problems, such as large class sizes, outdated textbooks, outdated computers and outdated teaching styles.
As a young adult, it boggles my mind that so much money is being pulled from education when the students will be the nurses, doctors, bus drivers and government officials taking care of or assisting the same people making these ridiculous decisions now.
You get exactly what you pay for.
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to cut janitorial services just to turn around and spend that money reviewing whether or not the custodians are managing to keep up with an increased workload.
Isn’t the point of budgets to redirect funds to areas that are seriously lacking?
How about using some of that $74,000 to hire another teacher to keep classroom sizes at the acceptable 30?
It’s very difficult to learn when you have to compete for the teacher’s attention, which results in poorly educated graduates.
Perhaps a better way for the district to save money would be to have students be responsible for themselves. Which really, is that not supposed to be what education is about?
Put your garbage in the garbage can, or papers in recycling, seeing as there’s a bin in every room. Don’t rip your quiz into shreds unless you’re prepared to sweep the classroom. Pick up or throw away your half eaten sandwich after lunch, don’t leave it on the floor.
Rebecca Christoffersen
Nanaimo