Six Tri-City school trustees will be heading to China next week, courtesy of the Chinese government, to pave the way for students from China to get educated in School District 43.
Unlike Tri-City mayors, whose trade trip travel to China last year was paid for by taxpayers, SD43 politicians will be letting the Chinese government cover the entire $54,600 in costs.
“The decision to go has always been made. We’ve always agreed that it benefits the international education program,” board chair Kerri Palmer Isaak told The Tri-City News.
It’s a cultural grant, trustees say, offered by the Confucius Institute which provides SD43 $228,000 in grants to the district for language, dance, calligraphy and other classes for the community plus $4, 000 for its bilingual Mandarin school program at Walton elementary school.
But this trip is mostly business, according to trustees.
(The Tri-City News asked the district for information about tourism activities on the trip but it was not provided.)
“[The trip] really helps us with the international education program," Palmer Isaak said. "It gives us the support for creating globally minded students, promoting global and cultural aspects of the students, and financial aspects of the district."
This year, six of SD43's nine trustees will go to China from Feb. 26 to March 9, up from four last year, with trips to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing on the itinerary.
Among the stops will be visits to education bureaus, the Canadian embassy and schools to see how Hong Kong students work with Micro:Bits, programmable toys, which are also used in SD43 middle schools to teach computational thinking.
Palmer Isaak will be joined on the trip by Port Coquitlam trustees Michael Thomas (who's also the board of education vice-chair) and Judy Shirra; and Coquitlam trustees Carol Cahoon, Barb Hobson and Diane Sowden. Last year Palmer Isaak, Cahoon, Shirra and Thomas went on the trip.
Superintendent Patricia Gartland told the board of education Tuesday the purpose of the trip is “beneficial for continuing to support the prosperous international education program. We’re so delighted to have the Confucius Institute support us in this way.”
While the local teachers union didn't criticize the trip, reliance on international education funding is a problem for Coquitlam Teachers' Association president Ken Christensen. And he would like to see more support for international students in schools using international education revenues.
This year, the district will see 2,036 students attending local schools, 60% of whom come from China. Each student pays $15,000 in fees to attend local programs and the program generates $34 million in revenue — about 10% of the SD43 budget.
Christensen said more funds are needed to help with English as an additional language (EAL) programs and help students, many of whom are here without families, adjust to their new school life.
“There was a time when more money went back to schools. During the lean times, that was cut back. I would have that restored to previous levels,” he said, adding that international ed. students are not counted as part of the class size and composition language that was restored last year after a Supreme Court of Canada ruling.
Palmer Isaak said provincial funding should cover all the costs associated with schools but because it doesn’t, international ed. funding fills in the gaps. She also said students and teachers are already supported in schools with funds from international education revenue.
School trustees aren’t the only officials visiting China. The country has been a popular destination for civic and provincial politicians of late, although airfare in other cases is typically paid for by taxpayers, at least for Tri-City mayors.
When Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart went to China May in 2016 to speak at a conference and meet with officials, his $2,025 airfare was paid for by the city, although his accommodations were arranged by his hosts and the costs are not known.
For Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore’s trip to China in May 2017 to support local business and sign a friendship agreement, the city paid for travel. His accommodation was paid for by hosts while the trip was organized by the Canada China City and Town Friendship Association and local businessmen.
Similarly, the city of Port Moody paid $3,423 for Mayor Mike Clay to visit China May last year but his accommodation was paid for by the local hosts. His visit was part of the Canadian BC Mayor’s Delegation to China and was to promote friendship, business relationships, education, and trade between cities of both countries.
Some have criticized the school district for accepting funding from China’s Confucius Institute, arguing the benefit could affect trustees’ judgement in its dealings with the international education program, a charge to which SD43’s board chair objects.
Palmer Isaak said the district is not beholden to the government of China and is open and transparent about accepting funding.
“We give full disclosure about where the funding is coming from, essentially, even though we do get some criticism,” she said.
