Editor, The News:
Re: More instruction, not less (Letters, March 18).
After reading Karen Georgi’s letter regarding the school district’s proposal to save money by decreasing student instruction by six days, I re-examined my first reaction, which initially was, Yes, another week of vacation.
First of all, I accept the argument that a full day of school has much greater value in educating a child than chopped up segments added to remaining days of instruction.
The benefit of each instructional day is often represented by a new lesson or concept taught.
A few minutes left over at the end of the day maybe represents a bit more time to work with lessons or concepts already covered or maybe a bit of time for children to complete some of their homework.
What are we giving up and what is gained?
For the 13 years a child spends in the education system, Kindergarten to Grade 12, the annual six-day loss accumulates to just more than four months. This is getting uncomfortably close to half a year of forfeited education.
Keeping our children’s interests foremost in our mind, is this the least harmful way of reducing district expenses?
I sincerely hope the final decision is based on what best preserves the quality of our children’s education and future.
Rose Curry
Pitt Meadows