Peter Kerek Asks:
There are many school-aged children living below the poverty line in Kamloops and across Canada. What role, if any, do you feel a school trustee should play in advocating for economic justice for these kids?
For the immediate short term I would like to see free breakfast, lunch and afternoon meals provided to every child in the school. This measure is not something that really costs a lot of money in the big scheme of things, can be implemented quickly , and will have an immensely positive effect on learning.
All fees, extra charges etc. have to disappear. A field trip, the rental of a musical instrument, sports equipment etc. needs to be available to every child.
In the longer term we need a much higher standardization of our public schools. it is not acceptable that there are "better" and "worse" schools in the system. The goal has to be every school fully equipped , staffed and serviced to its needs. Every child deserves an awesome school, regardless of the wealth.