The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Small or large high schools? I write this as someone who lived in Creighton and graduated from Hapnot Collegiate. My 35 year career in education included 24 years as an administrator in small and large secondary schools plus two years at the U of M Faculty of Education. A wellÐwritten and informative Reminder article on October 10th detailed the internal report which states that it is feasibly to expand Creighton Community School to include grades 10 to 12. The report, written by Creighton teachers, administrators and school trustees, states that because of declining enrolment major changes may not be necessary to the building to accomplish this, but they advocate spending $650,000 to upgrade the facility to include proper science labs, etc. One advantage cited for including grades 10 - 12 is that the Creighton school division would save $300,000 per year by not having to pay non-resident fees to Flin Flon, and also would be eligible for Saskatchewan education grants which it cannot at present qualify for. The per-student fee paid is a non-resident fee (as those not resident in Manitoba are not eligible for per-student grants from the Manitoba government). These fees are normally higher than the grant as the grants only cover part of the costs of a high school student's education. The rest is covered by the local taxpayer. Is it logical, or fair, that Flin Flon ratepayers should pay for non-residents or should Saskatchewan taxpayers pay? Other advantages given are they would be taught Saskatchewan curricula, eliminating "transition problems" after grade 9. A question one may ask is since Manitoba re- introduced the fourÐyear Manitoba high school about 10 years ago, why were the students not sent to Hapnot after grade 8, when the school again became a fourÐyear high school? In any case, those of us who administered large and small high schools know that students from other provinces have few if any transitional problems, depending largely on the education they received in their previous school. Some other reasons given in the report are that the Creighton school division would get "control" over the high school program, older students will serve as good role models for younger students, and a few other minor "advantages". Role models are good and bad as all teachers know, and in larger schools "bad role models" are much in the minority. When Manitoba instituted and administrated the 9 to 12 high school there was a noticeable drop among discipline problems among grade 9s who went from top-dogs in the junior highs to bottom dogs in the high school. By the way, it has turned out to be a much better educational setting for the students, especially the grade 9s, who were now called senior students. It is unfortunate that the Creighton board of education did not include any outside educators or professionals in drafting the report. One highly respected expert is former Hapnot Collegiate principal Glenn Smith whose November 6th Letter to the Editor displays the benefit of his long experience and good common sense. Mr. Smith's main concern is that a 3-4 class high school can not provide the quality of education of a 500+ student school. He points out that it is expensive and practically impossible to offer much in the way of options such as art, band or home ec, and the like, or find someone to teach them. Indeed, a very small school will be hard pressed to offer all basic subjects, and most certainly will require a combining of classes in some subjects. Smith points out that tiny classes are not feasible and questions if any savings can be made. It should be mentioned that government funding provides only slightly over half of school costs, and that costs are much higher in the high school. What about co-curricular activities? Under Manitoba High School Athletic Association rules, no Creighton students would be eligible to play on Hapnot school teams unless they are registered at the school. This will be to the detriment of both the students and the school. Hapnot Collegiate has served the Creighton students well for decades, including this writer and his brothers and sisters. It maintains a good solid reputation among Manitoba educators and athletic organizers. Taking away the Saskatchewan students will certainly harm the school but will provide no educational advantages for the students of the small school. The chairman of the Creighton Board of Education is quoted as saying Saskatchewan students "must attend the high school provided" and would not always receive permission to attend school in Flin Flon. The reality is that if students and their parents are able and willing to pay the non-resident fee and provide transportation, they can attend any school in Manitoba. The non-resident fee is also a tax deduction, as are fees paid to private schools. Speaking of taxes, those of us who are summer residents at Denare Beach, but live in Manitoba, suffer from the old political illness of "taxation without representation". In Saskatchewan, unlike Manitoba, property owners cannot vote unless they are permanent residents. Of this writer's $1,225 property tax bill, $673.40 is paid to Creighton school division with no vote allowed for school trustees, and no danger of any child attending their schools. It is my opinion that the high school in Creighton idea should not be pursued or allowed by the taxpayers. As Glenn Smith wrote, in his recent Letter to the Editor, if there are conflicts between the two school divisions, they should be worked out.
