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WALLACEBURG ARTS: Should Lambton-Kent have a specialized arts high school?

Some days I dare myself to dream. 

Based on my personal policy of not complaining about something without offering an alternative, this week I offer a recent “vision.” 

WALLACEBURG ARTS: Should Lambton-Kent have a specialized arts high school? Back to video

It’s an old story now, but I’m not happy that there is no instrumental wind music course being offered at Wallaceburg District secondary school. 

However, having spent 31 years working for the same school board, all of which were in the very building I speak of, my head is not buried in the sand. 

I know how the system works and the number of students in a school affects which, and how many, courses can be offered at a school. 

There are many potential approved courses on the books of the Ministry of Education but offering them all at WDSS would be a completely unreasonable thought. 

Boards are given X number of dollars to work with and that includes staffing, related equipment and in some cases ongoing costs. 

Administrators are required to make tough choices, some rather uncomfortable, regarding what courses will be offered in their school. 

For instance, many years ago now I felt that it was in the best interest of our WDSS students to jump into the quickly advancing area of multi-media education that the ministry referred to as “Communications.” 

The course would include video editing, audio design, graphic design and several other areas that would fall under the description of “communications.” 

I felt that WDSS was going to be left behind when it could potentially be on the cutting edge of this rapidly advancing area. 

I approached the principal at the time who quickly said “no,” because “offering such a course, would........

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