Rob Fleming, NDP education critic. (Photo supplied)
A battle of words is shaping up between MLA Linda Larson and NDP Education Critic Rob Fleming over the proposed closure of a school in Osoyoos.
Fleming again criticized Larson in the B.C. Legislature Thursday for doing “almost nothing” and for refusing to attend any public meetings on the proposal to close either Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) or Osoyoos Elementary School (OSE).
Earlier Thursday, Fleming issued a press release saying “…Larson’s refusal to attend public meetings on planned closures in Osoyoos shows that she isn’t committed to representing the needs of students and families in her own constituency.”
He said both Larson and Education Minister Mike Bernier should attend these public meetings so they can understand the effects of their failure to properly support public education.
“MLA Larson should be the voice for Osoyoos in Victoria, not the voice of Victoria in Osoyoos,” said Fleming. “MLA Larson should not be hiding from constituents at a time when they are looking for leadership from their MLA.”
Later Thursday, Larson put out her own statement attacking Fleming, who Larson has accused of wanting to attend to bash the government.
“The meetings are most definitely not meant to be a platform to the NDP for their political government bashing and diverting people away from finding practical solutions, which seems to be what NDP critic Rob Fleming wants,” said Larson’s statement. “That is totally unproductive and is of no benefit to the community or the students.”
Larson maintains that the decision to close schools it entirely up to the school board and that she as MLA shouldn’t interfere.
Fleming insists that the problem is that the provincial government is underfunding education, forcing school districts against their will to close schools.
The recent provincial budget ordered school districts to find an additional $25 million in administrative savings on top of $29 million required in last year’s budgets.
Fleming says the low hanging fruit has already been cut and that these funding cuts are forcing school boards to make cuts in the classroom.
Minister Bernier insists that the B.C. Liberal government is funding school districts in the province by $5.2 billion annually, the highest level ever.
Fleming points out that B.C. has dropped from the Canadian province with the second highest funding on a per-student basis to the second lowest and that funding in B.C. is $1,000 below the Canadian average.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
- See Rob Flemings statement in legislature (Video – YouTube)
- Statement by MLA Linda Larson
- See NDP Caucus news release
MLA Linda Larson. (File photo)
