Questions have recently been raised about the role District Education Council’s play and whether or not there is a need for them.
District Education Council’s play a larger role than people think, that according to Robert Fowler, a DEC Spokesperson for the Anglophone Sector.
He says there are a lot of misconceptions about Council, “What we do is provide a policy framework for the District to operate under, so we would highlight areas that we consider of critical importance to the community and instruct the Superintendent to operate and adhere to those policies.”
Fowler says they aren’t involved in the hiring of principals or where bus stops and custodians should be located.
He says they do have a community voice, and they advocate to ensure the schools are not underfunded and assist when decisions need to be made about school closures.
“Is the local MLA going to say, ‘Mr. Minister, I have a couple of schools in my District that probably should close?’ No, and who is going to stand up and fight for increased funding in areas where we need it. We really need a coordinated voice back to Fredericton and I think that is the role that the DEC serves,” Fowler says.
A letter from the Council of DEC Chairs in the Anglophone Sector and the New Brunswick Federation of Education Councils states, “The current lack of consultation and collaboration with DECs by the province appear to be setting the table for a proposal to eliminate elected District representation with the autonomy to challenge the Department of Education. Before scrapping the existing education governance structure, should we not attempt to empower the current councils? Providing the necessary resources, authority and discretion to councils can achieve the same goals of improving governance and better connecting communities to education. Minister Cardy must partner with us to find lasting solutions to give power to local voice in public education decisions. At minimum, allow the DECs to be fairly heard and participate fully in the current review.”
“With the education governance structure under review by the province, it is critical that there is an accurate, balanced understanding of the role of the elected education councils,” says Fowler.
Voters will be electing members of the DEC at the polls today, but in many cases, they win by acclamation.
