Students, parents and teachers all have a vested interest in our school system. As a business owner, so do I. Public education is the most important service that governments deliver because education drives local economic development, job and wage growth.
Every year my business partner and I interview dozens of youth – many of whom are recent graduates of the public school system – for their first jobs as young adults. We install water and sewer pipes, and like all businesses, we need employees with a core set of critical skills. These critical skills include math and English literacy, written and oral communication, problem solving and team work.
Unfortunately, far too many kids are graduating without the basic academic skills needed to reach their potential. For too long, we’ve been too afraid to admit that there are major problems in our education system, and we’ve never had the courage to fix them.
I have a vision for our school system that will prepare kids for the jobs of tomorrow, across all sectors of the economy, blue and white collar.
To achieve this vision, I believe we must:
- Put even greater emphasis on achievement in math and English
- Improve access to technical and vocational programs by partnering with local businesses, farms and non-profit organizations
- Give students and parents greater choice, especially with respect to which school they choose to attend
- Make physical education a part of every student’s day, with an emphasis on building team work skills
- Reward our best teachers
- Work with the new provincial government instead of rallying against it
We must change the system. Improving public education is good for the economy – it has a bottom-line impact that everyone will benefit from.
As we approach election day I look forward to more discussion around these critical issues.
Cheers,
Jon