Morgan wants more graduates
SASKATOON — Eleven-year-old Adam Fairbairn has a few ideas about how to improve his education, and the provincial government is looking to students like him for suggestions.
“I would like to see better computers; we only have about eight computers that work, and it takes about 20 minutes to log on,” said Fairbairn, a Grade six student at St. Marguerite School.
Fairbairn, who wants to be a Lego designer when he grows up, would also like more gym time, more hands-on learning in science, and more freehand drawing and computer design.
On Monday, Minister of Education Don Morgan announced retired RCMP Commissioner Russ Mirasty and Saskatoon Public Schools superintendent Patricia Prowse as the two advisers who will lead a provincewide consultation on education with students, teachers and parents.
“We’ve got a 70 per cent rate for graduation but it’s significantly less for First Nations students, so we’d like to get both up significantly,” Morgan said, adding he would like to have a 100 per cent graduation rate but there is no set target.
Mirasty and Prowse had their first meeting with the ministry Monday to begin mapping out the consultation process. The consultations will take them around the province over the next few months.
Morgan said there are no plans for the production of a formal report, but the two advisers will give recommendations along the way.
“We need to attend to what’s keeping our students from graduating and succeeding,” Prowse said. “I think it’s a very important process. I believe that we need to work together to find out the challenges (and) look for successes that exist.”
Saskatchewan’s graduation rate is one of the lowest in Canada, but it’s the nature of our province, Morgan said, adding that Saskatchewan’s graduation rate fares better when an extra year of school is taken into consideration.
“For the students, (accessibility is) the key,” Mirasty said. “(Education) should be consistent whether you’re in Saskatoon or you’re in Black Lake. The learning should be the same, the goals should be the same, so that students are equally prepared to then tackle the next step.”
Fairbairn said he understands education will help him be successful later in life.
“I think that it’s important that almost all kids graduate school,” he said. “I think it’s very important for society and our country, and I think that (the consultations) are very important.”
Information on how people can take part in the consultations will be released in the next few weeks. Morgan said he encourages anyone who wanted to get involved to contact the Ministry of Education.