In an effort to collect public input to assist with the creation of the new Education Act, the provincial government invited students, parents, teachers, and members of the general public to a consultation session called Our Children, Our Future: Getting it Right this past weekend in Bonnyville.
Education stakeholders, teachers, principals, parents, and students from across northeast Alberta met at the St. Louis Parish Hall on Saturday to engage in conversation, brainstorm ideas, and highlight priorities to assist the minister of education in reviewing education legislation.
In a press release dated Nov. 15, Thomas Lukaszuk, minister of education, said, “Education legislation is not reviewed very often and I am committed to getting it right. By opening up this discussion to the public, especially to students, we can ensure this legislation reflects Albertans' vision for their education system and that it has a direct and positive impact on Alberta classrooms now and for decades to come.”
Students from as far away as Wainwright and St. Paul travelled to participate in the conversation, joining principals, politicians, and fellow students at the table to discuss four themes: making schools safe and welcoming, making learning relevant for all students, keeping students engaged in learning, and setting students up for success in life.
Bonnyville Town Councillor John Irwin was impressed by the contributions of the students who attended.
“The students here are Grade 9 students, they're 14 years old,” he said. “They're sitting at tables with adults, school principals and teachers, and they're sharing their ideas. Boy, that takes an awful lot of courage. I'm really proud of these kids that came out from all over northeastern Alberta. There are young people here from Cold Lake, there are young people here from St. Paul, and Wainwright, as well as Bonnyville, and I think that's just terrific.”
Genia Leskiw, MLA for Bonnyville — Cold Lake and chair of the provincial education policy committee, attended the event. Though she had nothing to do with the decision to bring the consultation session to Bonnyville, she said she was glad for the chance to participate.
“A lot of it is the way I was thinking — making things relevant, engaging the student, and things like that,” she added.
“It just reinforces a lot of the things that I myself have really believed in, so I was really happy to see that, and the students that came out are just absolutely fabulous. It's really good to see the students here.”
Some of the suggestions and ideas included teaching students more life skills, ensuring technology in the classroom keeps up with the rest of the world, and ensuring Alberta offers students a 21st Century education.
“We talk about 21st Century learning but we're not doing it,” said Blair Norton, principal of Central Elementary in Lac La Biche. He stressed the importance of providing an education for students that can be accessed any time, anywhere, and was dependent on a child's development, not his or her age.
Ariana Cahn, a student who travelled to Bonnyville to co-moderate the event with fellow student Kelly Thompson and moderator Don Napier, said the main idea she took away from the day's conversations was the importance of the school community.
“The feeling of belonging, especially as a teenager, but as a human being in general, is so vital to our success and our growth,” she said. “That really resonated with me today, that we belong together. A school is like a community — we work together, we grow together. That's what's really important.
Both she and Thompson stressed the importance of keeping the conversation going.
Thompson said, “Maybe every spring we have (a consultation) here in Bonnyville, or every fall we have one in Edmonton, so that the conversation continues, so that we always get the input, so that if something changes, we know that it's a positive or a negative change, or if something's not changing, we know it needs to change. I think that if these meetings all across the province continue, it will just make the consultations and the recommendations even better.”
The consultation session was one of seven being held across the province between Nov. 26 and Dec. 9. Other stops are scheduled in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, and Peace River.
Those who cannot participate in those sessions are invited to give their ideas online at education.alberta.ca/engage.
