Richard Froese
South Peace News
High Prairie School Division made its concerns known at the annual Alberta Rural Education Symposium held March 1-3 in Edmonton.
High Prairie trustee Tammy Henkel addressed Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides during a general session, says an HPSD news release dated March 20.
She asked whether the funding allocated to the province recognizes the unique challenges faced in the north where access to specialized services remains a significant hurdle.
Board chair Joy McGregor says HPSD trustees have a priority to protect rural schools.
“Our board has advocated actively and persistently for northern and isolated rural communities at the Rural Education Symposium,” McGregor says in a statement to South Peace News.
Administration and trustees attended the symposium where educational leaders gather to discuss key issues affecting rural schools and communities.
The recent symposium featured sessions on Education That Matters for the Students We Teach, Forging Career Pathways, Changing Landscape of Education, and Transformational Family and Community Engagement: A Means to Equitable Outcomes.
The topics explored how to enhance student success, strengthen relationships between schools and the community, and navigate the evolving role of technology in education.
McGregor says the government has responded to concerns and requests from HPSD.
“The collective voice of the HPSD board has helped effectuate change in bringing parent access codes for the Annual Education Results Report back individual schools and having the Ministry of Education release the third year of dates for provincial achievement tests and diploma dates so that multi-year school calendars can be formed,” McGregor says.
She adds the board has also lobbied for mental health services.
“Most importantly, the board has advocated tirelessly for enhanced mental health services for HPSD students and families,” McGregor says.
“We are happy to remind stakeholders that our efforts have garnered the creation of a mental health classroom in Slave Lake under the Child and Adolescent Services for ALL classroom program with plans to expand to High Prairie.”
Other mental health services have been secured.
“Our advocacy efforts have yielded a newly-created tele-psychiatry program, which for the first time ever, allows students and families within the division to access psychiatric services without the need to travel outside their local community,” McGregor says.
She is grateful for government support for rural schools such as HPSD.
“All in all, the HPSD board is thankful for the Ministry of Education listening to our concerns and pleased that our Division is now able to produce enhanced services on the stated needs of our stakeholders.”
The annual symposium was initiated in 2012 by the education minister of the day and held ever since.
Since 2013, the event has been organized by a planning committee that includes representatives from the Alberta School Boards Association, the Alberta Teachers Association, the Alberta School Councils Association, the Alberta School Business Officials Association, the College of Alberta School Superintendents and Alberta Association.