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.
Flin Flon Superintendent of Schools Blaine Veitch has concerns about this week's announcement that classes across Manitoba will continue to start after Labour Day. While still waiting to hear more details, Veitch said the announcement could result in a loss of five instructional days in the 2004-05 school year. "We have to continue to monitor the affect on students," he said. "Can staff continue to complete instruction on all the expectations of the curriculum in a shortened time period?" The superintendent said the school division lost two instructional days this year due to the province's decision to start classes after Labour Day rather than the last week of August. Veitch said the response from parents to the new start date was positive, as many of them spent the late part of August vacationing. See 'Classes' P.# Con't from P.# The earliest classes could start for the 2004-05 school year would be September 7, as Labour Day falls on September 6. Unless more instructional days are scheduled during the year Ñ a shortened Christmas break, for example Ñ Veitch said the post-Labour Day start will cost the division five instructional days next year. Outgoing Education Minister Ron Lemieux told the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce this week that the province remains committed to beginning classes following the September long weekend. "It was overwhelmingly successful," Lemieux said of this year's post-Labour Day start, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. According to the newspaper, the minister mentioned that the Department of Education is looking at how school days in June might be put to better use. Students have a number of days off in June prior to acquiring their report cards. A few hours after Lemieux made the announcement, Premier Gary Doer, as scheduled, named Peter Bjornson as the new Minister of Education.
