Dear Editor:
Re: Taking it to the top, the Record, Jan. 18. I want to commend Kinsale Philip for speaking out against New Westminster Secondary’s ridiculous policy. Philip hit the nail on the head when he said that removing spare blocks will make it more challenging for students to hone in on their passions.
I graduated a decade ago and can remember how valuable that spare time was for personal development. I spent it focusing on the studies and electives that I enjoyed, and so did most of my classmates. The school’s argument that a full course schedule “increases school engagement” is theatre at its best, and a misguided power trip at its worst. It’s senseless to force individuals on the brink of adulthood to engage in the study of electives that they have next to no interest in.
Shame on Mr. Tyler for assuming his students would take this lying down.
Amanda Siebert, New Westminster
