Dear Premier Wade MacLauchlan,
Recently your Liberal government has proposed many reductions in teaching staff in rural community schools over the next three years, in order to transfer those teachers to urban education facilities. I am aware that this may resolve the overcapacity problems in the Charlottetown families of schools, but you will be stripping students in rural communities of the many opportunities that contribute to shaping young people. ("Yarr, Kevin") The majority of the opportunities presented to students are introduced and sponsored through groups, teams and clubs within schools that are organized by educational staff. By having minimal staff in rural schools it will force these dedicated teachers to drop their commitments to extracurricular activities, to take on more overcrowded classes resulting in teenagers attending a school without any extracurriculars. ("Rally Monday opposing cuts to teaching positions at P.E.I. schools.") These are supposed to be the best years of a person's life but without any amusement in the place where a teenager spends the majority of their time, it will not be the best but the worst. This will cause some lives to shift, because these opportunities play huge roles in the development of teens.
My school, Kensington Intermediate Senior High is at risk of losing over five teaching positions. ("Message from Kensington Intermediate High Parent Council.") This could mean we risk losing our Agriculture(Aggies)and Travel and Tourism programs, along with elective classes such as trades. The agriculture program is extremely important, especially in our rural area, because there are many farming families that attend our school. Aggies teaches young students and future farmers valuable life skills, such as how to drive a tractor, which could potentially be a key skill needed in a future career. ("The Importance of Agricultural Education and the FFA." ) The Travel and Tourism program gives students the opportunity to travel and explore foreign cultures all across the world, such as in New York City, Italy, and Vimy Ridge. ("Island students in tourism program set to travel to New York." ) Being exposed to a variety of cultures aids students in discovering themselves, and determining what they want they want their futures to consist of. Trades courses allows students to partake in hands on activities that peaks their interest, and leads to realistic career opportunities, especially in rural communities. Along with these unique career opportunities, it also gives students the chance to discover their interests and talents, and increase their self confidence all while making new friends.
Each teacher here already works extremely hard, and goes above and beyond their call of duty by taking initiative and organizing the majority of extracurriculars, in order to make every student's high school years memorable. Without these extracurriculars, students will be cut of their potential and students right to express themselves and their interests. Students will miss out on crucial opportunities, that will not even be options. By reducing the amount of teachers, you are inhibiting future generations’ ability to succeed. You state that you are putting teachers where the students are, but there are students in rural communities too, and we deserve the same opportunities. ("Yarr, Kevin")
Sincerely,
Carleigh Macleod, eleventh grade student