The Stay at Home Mother

The School District in Surrey is facing a $9.3 million budget shortfall this year and the proposal on the table is to cut instructional time for children not only at the primary level, but secondary as well.

I received a letter on April 27^th from the Surrey Board of Education advising that the board is seeking parents’ input before the board’s public meeting on May 28^th when trustees will finalize the 2009-2010 operating budget.

I wrote about it in my column in the Surrey Now newspaper, and there appears to be some debate over what is really being proposed....

They are offering 10 more minutes of extra time each day for the six days they want to take away. When you calculate it out - it still leaves children short of instructional time.

I had assumed in reading the proposal that there was extra time being provided as well for longer lunch hour and recess - but I've been told by one reader that isn't the case - in fact, its shorter time given on both these fronts.

Which now makes this proposition even worse! Not just for children but teachers too!

Either way you cut it - our children are being offered an extra week of "vacation" to cover the budget short fall and losing instructional time.

The school board say that other districts are doing it - so why not us?

Doesn't it open the pandora's box for future years of budget short falls to look to our children's educational hours to cut?

What are your thoughts? What is your interpretation of it? Post your thoughts!

To read my article in its entirety CLICK HERE.