Dear Editor:

This is an open letter to residents and students in Osoyoos.

I was born in Oliver in 1950 and lived there until I left in the early 1970s.

At that time the students from Okanagan Falls, Rock Creek, Osoyoos and all points in between were bused to the school in Oliver.

I don’t know how the Osoyoos students felt about the daily excursion to Oliver, but it seemed, if my memory serves be correctly, that things worked out fairly well.

There was even a late bus so students could stay for special events and sports activities etc.

We got along well as a group.

In fact a couple of my close friends married girls from Osoyoos and many of us have created long term friendships with students from the other areas.

It is easy from a parents’ point of view to see change as a bad thing for our children, but change is inevitable and learning to adapt is an essential skill.

I have been through the new Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver and I was very impressed with the new technology. It is as modern as they come.

Check it out if you haven’t so far.

It pains me to see the anger coming from parents and students directed at the School District trustees.

They are doing what they feel is right according to the laws they agree to uphold.

The most annoying part about all that has happened is the fact that the problem doesn’t arise with any local individuals.

All of the problems have been created by the provincial government.

It should be clear to all by now that the government is on a move to privatize education.

Having the Town of Osoyoos pay some of the costs would be moving in the direction the government wants, but creating a private or independent school in Osoyoos would be even a larger disaster, playing directly into the Liberals’ plan.

Since my grandchildren have come to live with my wife and I, it has become increasingly clear of the government’s shift away from funding our public education system.

The golden rule of divide and conquer appears to be working quite well in the South Okanagan.

Please, please, do not fall prey to these tactics.

It is time to start looking at the problem with a unified view because only then will you will come up with a much better resolution.

This change need not be permanent.

It is possible for the parents and students in Osoyoos to view this as an opportunity if they wish and to come out better on the other side.

It should be clear that this is not an isolated problem and that the solution is to elect a government that believes in free public education, fully functioning health care and so many other services to our communities that the current government has turned their back on.

It is easy to see how they have managed to balance the books when they are not providing the services they should be providing.

I suggest everyone in Osoyoos work together to make the next couple of years a success for your children and don’t forget at election time how the government has mistreated you.

If you stay united, you will prevail.

Members of the public stopped uranium mining in B.C., we stopped the HST and we can stop this, if we stay united.

Thank you.

Gary (Dook) Blidook

Kelowna, B.C.