By David F. Rooney
Local educators marked World Teachers’ Day with an acknowledgement that they are fortunate to be working in one of British Columbia’s most progressive school districts at a time when other countries are crying out for qualified teachers.
“This year the focus is… the importance of not forgetting the tremendous investment needed in the future,” MacFarlane told a gathering of about 22 local teachers and SD 19 trustees at Minto Manor Monday afternoon.
He noted that according to the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which sponsors World Teachers’ Day, the planet will need about 10 million teachers by 2025, many of them in developing countries where the appetite for education is strong but teaching conditions are often primitive,
SD 19 Board Chairman Alan Chell said students and families in Revelstoke are fortunate because of the hard work and dedication of the district’s teaching staff.
“When we see the reports at the board table… we see we have a very healthy school district and it’s all due to the teachers in the classroom,” he said.
His comments were echoed by Kathryn Tompkins, chairwoman of the District Parents Advisory Council, who noted educators and PAC members elsewhere in the province are envious of Revelstoke’s reputation.
“Thank you for doing such a wonderful job for our kids,” she told the teachers.
