Standing Committee On Education Standing Tall Stand By Your Man A Stand Up Guy HandStand FruitStand Standoffish

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin., #203, 8912-156 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5R 5Z2

January XIIIth, MMX

Hon. David G. Hancock, QC, MLA, Minister of Education, Progressive Conservative, Edmonton-Whitemud

Dear David:

I know this is not exactly new, but why is it that there are no Standing Committees of the Legislature on Education. Arguably as it takes what the second most amount of cashflow next to the Health Budget, there should be a full time 24/7 Legislature Committee looking after the needs of the students of this outstanding Province.

Also, why are the committees rigged with a 95% Progressive Conservative membership stacking on every one of the current 11 in operation? This allows no room for dissent, debate & discussion. This I believe is absolutely intolerable. Kind of makes you wonder why say folks like the Independent Member IV Fort McMurray agree to sit on these teams when its obvious the votes are stacked against them from the beginning.

It is my esteemed & yet humble opinion David that if an Education Committee is set up, it should be set up in a completely different way. One School Board Trustee from each of the two current systems, both Catholic & Public should be made a voting member with equal time & voting power. They are elected just the same as you are (albeit to fixed terms of office of three years) but have hd their power stripped by 80% in the last few years. Thus becoming pinions of the Government & therefore losing both face & overall respect.

To me this is an operation or way of Government planning that is intolerable. Let us return power to the people, lets us make our Trustees admired again. A third representative who also has strong voting rights should be placed on the potential Education Committee to represent the interests of Private Schools & Charter Schools, with a fourth being added to repesent the needs of those students in Post-secondary facilities. If Education is to remain viable & tenable, then it needs to have fair & balanced represntation. How can MLA's, especially Stelmach MLA's with no educational experience in administration of schools be the best representative for the citizens of this Province? In fact, why are there not members of the public on every Legislature Standing Commitee. Some of the decisions they make are quite frankly intolerable & decided in secret without proper consultation & insights from the public at large!

Graciously

Rory

Source: The Office Of The Speaker Of Alberta Legislature, Hon. Kenneth R. Kowalski, MLA, Progressive Conservative, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock.