LETTER: Clark government has millions for Indian film industry, nothing for education here in BC
By Contributor
Dear Editor,
On Tuesday February 12, 2013 District School board 20 conducted 2nd reading and sent for 3rd reading a bylaw to close Mclean Elementary School and convert Rossland Secondary School to K to 9 and bus years 10-12 to Crowe in Trail.
As a concerned resident of School Board District 20 I would like to draw your attention to the following headline and excerpt from the Globe and Mail online edition from Jan 22 & 23 2013: “BC Government invests $11-million to Host Times of India Film awards:
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark speaks during an event in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday January 22, 2013, to announce that The Times of India Film Awards will be held in the city in April.
(DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The inaugural Times of India Film awards will be held in Vancouver, lured here by the promise of international exposure for the event and the media company that runs it – and an $11-million investment from the provincial government. The TOIFAs were launched with a splash Tuesday morning in the city, with appearances by Bollywood stars, Times of India executives and B.C. Premier Christy Clark.’’
The current Liberal government under Christy Clark has demonstrated by this act of handing $11,000,000.00 to organisers of this event that they would rather fund and support film workers jobs in South Asia than fund Schools in BC.
It should be apparent to the Trustees of School Board 20 that the provincial government has misplaced its priorities.
Therefore the trustees should have the integrity and courage to deny the provincial governments restraints on Districts 20’s budgetary affairs and not pass the bylaw to reorganise Rossland’s schools at the third reading.
Any decisions made about school closings in district 20 should wait until after the next provincial election to ensure the School Board is working under guidelines from a government with a secure mandate from the people of British Columbia.
Thank You,
Donald Shaw
Rossland
