Education Financing

One of the most complex components of education in Canada, in my opinion is budgeting and finance. The  variety of pieces that must be included and considered in a budget is immense. Deciding on the monetary delegation and omission can be beneficial and devastation depending on the school division and individual. School funding and taxation remains unequal and depends on the wealth and value of the land.

Every year budgets are readjusted and making cuts seems to be one of the most difficult decisions, because ultimately it is going to effect a teacher, a student, or a community. Places where cuts are made differ from year to year and division to division. The decisions made by the school boards and divisions must take into account the largest monetary cut, in a manner which effects the least number of people. Personally, I find this troubling because  new teacher positions are one of the most common to be cut. Additionally, during budget cuts, class sizes can increase when the number of teachers are cut. With a higher student ratio per class more pressure is put on the teacher and less can realistically be accomplished. Unfortunately, in many high schools the elective and artistic programs must be cut when faced with money constraints. Music, art, and drama are not essential subjects, but have been said to be key in developing well rounded students with greater academic achievement. Without those options, schools do not provide many choices for students. Lastly, learning materials and investments in new technologies must be cut during a budget crunch. While schools can function without the latest materials, they are essential to the growth and learning in the twenty-first century.

Where to cut out of a school division budget is always going to be a hot button issue with room for debate. As teachers we must be realistic and know that cuts may not always go in our favour. This is a fact that we must deal with when having a career in public school divisions.  Different individuals will not always agree with where cuts are made; however, we must have faith in our school boards that they are trying to make the best decisions that cause the least amount of damage.

The Governance of Eduction

The structure of Manitoba Education is one that is functional, but has many areas that could be scrutinized. As a teacher I think it is important to understand the sequence of the public education system.  If teachers are unaware of where decisions are made and the delegation process, then it is impossible to illicit change if desired.

Teachers are at the bottom of the governance structure followed by the principal, the school, and the superintendent. The superintendent of schools is responsible for hiring new teachers along with the principals. Above the superintendent of schools, is the school division and school board. Finally, the provincial government regulates all school division within their province and sets curriculum standards.
The interesting part about having school boards, I believe is the fact that they are elected politicians rather than educators. This does not mean that some school board officials have an education background; nevertheless, it is not a requirement. I believe that school board officials should have more of a connection to the schools because that way they would have a better vision when setting budgets, funding, goals, and policy. Despite the fact they could have more experience with budgeting, sometimes I feel that decisions made, would be different with experience in the schools or school environment. Individual schools should have more input on the budget because it is directly effecting them day to day.

Public School systems are not simplistic and despite the thought that is invested into decision making, there will still be schools, teachers, or school divisions that do not agree.  As education continues to evolve, structure, budgets, and curriculum will continue to change. Although change is not always the best for all individuals, those that are passionate about an issue should fight for its implementation or preservation. As teachers, we are able to participate in this with the help of others and hopefully education will continue to improve in the future.

History of Education in Canada

In Canada, education has had a complicated and diverse history that has stemmed from the colonization of North Amercia. French, English, First Nations, and religious traditions have all influenced the way in which modern education has amalgamated today. Some areas of Canada retain their historical roots more than others. Acadian and French language education is still prevalent in their regions in Eastern Canada because of the fluctuation of French establishment in the 1600-1700's. British influence was prevalent in most of Central and Western Canada through settlement of the Hudson's Bay Company. Additionally, influence increased with British dominance over the French. Slowly, catholic religious teachings of the French diminished with more English protestant education.
As each region developed their own education system based on the colonial ethnic background, First Nations people were either forgotten or assimilated. Through the BNA Act of 1867, the educational responsibilities of First Nations children became a federal responsibility; meanwhile, the educational responsibility of the remaining population fell under the provincial government. Since education developed regionally, I believe it only made sense for it to become a provincial responsibility so that the demands of the local diverse populations could become met. In Manitoba it was declared that if ten or more students at a school required language accommodation, the school would have to reciprocate, or an alternative school would be opened. This seems to be a great rule and very accepting of cultural diversity. Unfortunately, for First Nations their treatment through the federal government meant harsh assimilation, loss of culture, religion, and sometimes abuse. The switch to structuralist British religious schooling was rough because it differed greatly from their traditional moral based, survival skill education trough oral history. The way that education developed definitely did not benefit all parties involved, but it is evident that many origins of  educational roots are still present through language, values, structure, and curriculum.
Lastly, since the development of modern day education, new opinions of how to best educate our children are still debated. Home schooling, I believe has its benefits; however, it can be damaging socially and depending on the teaching, can be detrimental to their education. Distance education and virtual schools are becoming more popular, as it is convenient. However, I firmly believe that learning best occurs in a safe environment where the student is familiar with the teacher.
Education in Manitoba and throughout Canada is rapidly changing, as the demands are constantly changing. More EAL instruction, reading recovery programs, and special needs assistance are needed to help our schools run more effectively. In order to have a clear vision of where to go with education it is important to know where it originated. Therefore, the same mistakes that have occured in the past should not be made again.