Goverance of Education in Canada

In the province of Manitoba, many people may find it suprising that the federal government actually has very little to do with the Education system. It is actually the province that has most of the power, as it is them (through our taxes) that funds the major bulk of our education system. It is also them that mandates our curriculum. From the provincial level, the power trail leads down to the school divisions and school boards, then to the division superintendent, and finally to the schools and community. But despite all of these different levels of government, certain levels still have control over certain things, and naturally most of the power is at the top.

For example, the board controls the purse strings as far as the overall budget is concerned, but has no control over educational decisions such as what programs are taught, hiring of new teachers, time tables etc. Is this right? I definetly believe that in the case of the finances, it is right for the board to have some control, but given that they are elected officers from within our own communities, I kind of sort of feel like they should have some input into educational decisions too. I dont think that I have ever met a trustee who did not have children of their own in the school system, or some sort of stake in the educational system, so who is to say that they dont have some important ideas regarding educational issues? I think that most parents, teachers, and community members see their trustees as their voice in the education system, but really, given that the issues that would be of most concern to them are educational, this really isn't the case, and I dont think this is right.

On the flip side, I am not sure that it is right for the finances to be controlled solely by the board either? Do they really have an idea of what schools, principals and teachers face on a daily basis? Unless they have ever been part of the system themselves, then I dont think so. So why should they have the only say in these decisions? I think that teachers and principals should be part of the decision making process, because only they truly know what their schools and students are lacking.

I think that the governance system has a few implications for teachers, but it is really most important just to know where your funding is coming from and who has the power in what areas. That way, if you are pushing for a change, you know exactly who has the power. When it comes to finances, a person can also choose come election time to elect someone different, but other than that, there is very little that people at the bottom level (teachers, parents, etc.) can do, especially regarding educational decisions. It is all about the politics, backing up your ideas with sound research, and charming the right people.