Can anything replace the smell of a new notebook, the echo of a new school locker being slammed shut, the feel of a new knapsack bought for a new school year? Probably not. But combine that with a brand new school and, well, it’s no wonder folks at the open house at the new Fraser River Middle School were pretty excited.
The school is a year late in opening, but that didn’t dampen the parents’ and students’ enthusiasm one little bit. In fact, it may have made everyone just a little more appreciative.
Education has become a political football, a way to tighten budgets and force parents and teachers to fork out more in an effort to save a couple of bucks here and there. But in this constant battle much is forgotten about why education and our schools are not just places of learning, but places of living. And they are vital to the very soul of our society. And why, because of that, they deserve our utmost attention.
Students spend most of their day in school. They learn from textbooks and computers, but more than that they learn how to respect each other, how to share with the student at the next desk and how we all learn from each other. If we don’t learn the simple act of how to get along with each other in school, we are much less likely to learn those lessons later in life.
Students now face challenges that most of us never faced in our school years. And the school system is challenged to deal with it all.
Parents’ expectations of how their children should be dealt with have also changed dramatically. No longer can teachers brandish a strap, or even simply yell at a student. No longer does the teacher have the final word. Students also, for the most part, know their rights.
And this is all good.
Students will be expected to take on more responsibilty as they move up through the system. They will become volunteers, leaders, employees, activists and engaged citizens. They will learn to pass on what they have learned and become responsible parents and allies to young people themselves. At least these are our hopes for them all.
Every student in the Fraser River Middle School is starting fresh in some way this new school year. We wish them, and all students in New Westminster, the very best school year.
