Skipping through the media for news about public education is like wading through a murky swamp of pessimism, hoping that sooner or later you鈥檒l find something reassuring about our public-school system.
News stories seem to be mostly about labour-relations conflicts, school trustees who need to hire mediators to help them get along, court decisions berating school districts for inadequate service to students with special needs and teachers being called up before the Teacher Regulation Branch for behaving badly.
And that was in just one week.
But some other things happened in South Island public schools recently and throughout this school year that, while they didn鈥檛 make headlines, made things better and more interesting for significant numbers of kids.
Drawing on community resources, Parkland Secondary School in North Saanich has initiated a 鈥渕arine institute,鈥� enabling students to give their courses a nautical flavour. From the sciences to technology classes, says principal Mark Fraser, 鈥渟tudents in the academy receive a grounding in marine life.鈥�
Kris Vopnfjord, a teacher at Quamichan Middle School in Duncan, built a fully digital 16-track recording studio for the kids at his school over the last five years.
Vopnfjord, a recorded musician himself, has created a rigorous locally developed course that involves the use of 鈥渞ock band鈥� instruments, songwriting, performing and studio recording.
Other South Island schools, most notably Esquimalt and Oak Bay, have for decades produced some of 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 leading musicians, and teachers at Belmont Secondary School in Langford have again ramped up their performing-arts program.
Music teachers Glen Whitney and Glynis Dawson at Belmont, along with drama teacher Melissa Young, dance teacher Ashleigh Ritchie, and film and TV teacher Lori Haddon, head up one of the more notable performing arts programs in the province.
Another major project, this one involving Greater Victoria School District鈥檚 Reynolds High School Fine Arts Collegium, saw 1,500 young people who are involved in band programs all over the Greater Victoria region participate in the creation of the the Meridium Insula Ventis Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
Under the direction of George Corwin, retired University of Victoria professor and internationally recognized conductor, this ensemble includes students and music educators from the Greater Victoria, Sooke and Saanich school districts, as well as students from UVic and professional musicians who also perform with the Victoria Symphony, the Victoria Operatic Society and the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific.
In Saanich School District, the Institute for Global Solutions was launched in in September at Claremont Secondary School. The IGS is an innovative, project-based program intended to encourage students to explore and become objectively knowledgeable about global challenges.
The curriculum is designed to equip students with tools and experiences to constructively address environmental and humanitarian challenges of the 21st century, from poverty reduction to food production, urbanization and sustainable energy.
Edward Milne Community School in Sooke School District recently saw students in the culinary arts program heading over to Fable Restaurant in Vancouver to cook alongside Top Chef 乌鸦传媒 finalists Trevor Bird and Curtis Luk.
Thinking 鈥渓ocal鈥� is a major focus for students in the program at EMCS. Like Fable Restaurant, they tailor their recipes and menus around what is available seasonally. Top Chef 乌鸦传媒 Carl Heinrich graduated from the EMCS culinary arts program.
So forget the doom and gloom about public education. Public education is alive and well in South Vancouver Island鈥檚 progressive public schools.
Geoff Johnson is a retired superintendent of schools.
