The Editor,
Re. “Off to China they go, again” (The Tri-City News, Feb. 23).
On reading the referenced article, I became deeply disturbed. The story states that six Tri-City school trustees are heading to China, courtesy of the Chinese government to pave the way for students from China to get educated in School District 43.
Since the trustees are elected by the Canadians and paid for by the Canadian taxpayers, I would have thought that accepting a gift of $54,600 to pay for the trip costs to visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing would constitute a conflict of interest. Could the Chinese government also be giving undisclosed personal gifts to the trustees?
While the readers are informed that the Confucius Institute provides SD43 with $228,000 in grants for the teaching of dances and calligraphy, subjects that would not enhance the intellectual development of the students, Kerri Palmer Isaak, SD43’s chair, who also went to China last year, says that the trip helps the district financially.
If government officials need to see how an educational system works, they should go to Germany and learn how the educational system of that country allows it to be so productive and prosperous.
Also in Ms. Strandberg’s article, I learned that according to Ken Christensen, president of Coquitlam Teachers’ Association, that the district of Coquitlam this year will have 2,036 students attending local schools, 60% of whom are from China.
Given that the current housing crisis reduced the rental availability to zero, will the accommodation needs of those students supersede the Canadians’ housing needs?
Maybe it is time B.C.’s minister of education dissolves all the school boards and unifies the learning conditions for the whole province, so all British Columbians have the same level of education with the same opportunities.
To conclude, it is my belief that public education should fulfil the purpose of educating citizens so they are able to succeed in a competitive world. That Coquitlam school board’s members are engaging in the business of accepting foreign grants and trips paid for by a foreign government is unacceptable and should be discouraged.
Marta Posilovic, Coquitlam
