CHOICE, VOICE & DEMOCRACY

CHOICE:

The choice of Park West community is to have Park West School remain P-9 with its current boundaries.  Park West is a vibrant and uniquely diverse community that has no further demographic growth or change.  The school has retained enrolment with no growth, and no negative impact on the educational benefits to our children’s educational experience.  The majority of the community see the benefit of our school with its P-9 configuration to our children’s education and to our community. 

We must however in a democratic society take the time to consider the voice of those who would like a “smaller Park West”. A choice to attend a school with a good reputation of academics and community support and to have it in your back yard is something we all seek when choosing a community to settle in with our children.  However, if the school in the community of your choice is too “large” and does not fit the needs or desires of your family, would it not be reasonable to consider seeking out a “smaller” school within one of the neighbouring communities to fulfil your family or families needs and desires?  Would it not be unreasonable, to consider that it would be unfair to believe that 300 other students from the community should be displaced to accommodate the desire of a few families, and for all of these families to lose their choice of attending a school in their community?  It would appear that the sense of community is somewhat lost when one wishes for it its growth to be stunted.

We should all have choices, but if Park West School loses the Junior High, All grade 7-9 students and their families LOSE their choice to attend their community school.  OUR CHOICE IS LOST!

 And on that note, lets us now  consider the matter of:

 DEMOCRACY & VOICE:

“In a democratic country, all eligible citizens have the right to participate, either directly or indirectly, in making the decisions that affect them. Canadian citizens normally elect someone to represent them in making decisions at the different levels of government. This is called a representative democracy”.
http://www.parl.gc.ca

What is happening to the voice of the Park West community Parents regarding decisions on the education of their children?  It would appear that with the recent boundary review of our community school, it is being muzzled.  It would also appear that the very benefit of a democratic system as it relates to the Halifax Regional School Board and the Department of Education and early childhood development is questionable.

In a democratic system such as Canada functions, how can the Department of Education and early childhood development and the Halifax Regional School board act with such autonomy?  If these two entities of our government cannot hear the voice of the people, it would appear that we are not within a fully functional representative democratic democracy.  

This leads us to ask our other levels of government, who will hold these two bodies of government accountable for their actions?  Who will step up and ensure that our voices on very important issues are heard and represented?