The Editor,
A letter to Peter Fassbender, B.C. education minister:
We, the members of BC Parents of Special Needs Children: Action for Equitable Access, were greatly disappointed to learn of your recent announcement to make $150,000 available to 120 international students for scholarships.
Our members are personally aware of the growing unmet needs of students with special needs currently attending B.C. public schools. We are passing along 120 suggestions, including a few from us, our children’s aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings, about how those precious B.C. education dollars would be better spent — that’s one suggestion for every scholarship offered.
Our families are in a key position to make these suggestions, including:
• Karen, who says an increase in support staff hours would allow her son to be in school for the entire day instead of him having to go home at lunch because there’s no support.
• Christina, who suggests the money should pay for psycho-educational assessments for both her children who are on waiting lists.
• Natalie, who would have the funds pay for support staff for recess, field trips, special events so no child would be left behind.
• Shon, who would like a little of that money to be spent on a class set of iPads so his non-verbal son can have peers who are able to communicate the same way he does — and they could help him learn that his voice matters even if it comes through an AAC device.
BC Parents of Special Needs Children: Action for Equitable Access
