The New Westminster school district is considering forming a committee to consider the implications of changing school calendars.
School trustees voted unanimously at a recent committee meeting to recommend the board of education establish a committee of parents, teachers, support staff, principals and trustees to examine the school calendar and to report back its findings by next February.
"I think it's an opportunity to look at things that have come up over the past year or two," said board of education chair James Janzen.
"People have been interested in a twoweek spring break, and there's quite a bit of interest out there around having a shorter summer break, and (there's) lots of educational research to show that that might be beneficial."
The Liberal government introduced a bill last month to change the School Act, allowing school boards to extend the school year over the course of 12 months.
The bill doesn't force school districts to provide year-round schooling or change the number of instructional hours, but it does allow school boards to change the schedule if they chose.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees opposes any changes to the school calendar and recently passed an emergency motion opposing a government bill that would eliminate the September-to-June calendar and allow school districts to offer year-round schooling.
The delegates to the CUPE .C. said the bill to eliminate the tandard school calendar is not nnovation aimed at improvng public education, but rather s a cost-cutting measure that ould negatively impact the ost vulnerable students, who have weaker school attachment.
It would place added burdens on families already having problems getting adequate and affordable child care and increase pressure on CUPE staff, according to the union.
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