To the Editor,
Re: Teachers query support model, March 14.
When our children in Nanaimo graduate from our public school system, many are unprepared for university level classes.
The Nanaimo high school dropout rate is also high.
While I am certainly concerned about struggling learners and students with behavioural development issues, and I think they should be encouraged and helped as much as possible, I also feel these children are in the minority.
The majority of our children are bright, talented, creative, energetic little souls who are capable of more than what is being provided for them by the public education system. These children tend to coast by, or have the notion that a minimal effort on their behalf is good enough.
Does the new support model include these kids? The majority? How will their problems be met?
It isn’t fair for a child to have to fail or struggle before any attention is paid, and then it’s a type of negative attention. The kind of attention that might stigmatize someone.
The only way is to change the support model to create more academic and creative venues for the children – for all of the children. Give them something to work for, something to care about academically and artistically. Be proud of their ability rather than focusing on their failures.
This would show a decrease in children with behaviour development issues, and would give children with biological learning disabilities a sense of accomplishment.
Why can’t teams of specialists be available to implement more academic and creative venues for our children? This would make a real difference.
Can the new support model support this? If it does not, I fear nothing will change. Despite the money the district has spent on this new ‘support model’ there won’t be any notable differences or improvement within our failing public education system.
It’s just another way to make them seem important and not do any real work.
I hope they prove me completely wrong.
Valentina Cardinalli
Nanaimo