Dear Editor,
(Open letter to Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA and Education Minister Lisa Beare)
As a resident of Maple Ridge and a long-time homeschool mom, I’m deeply disappointed and frustrated to hear of the government’s recent decision to cut funding from Christian Homelearners eStreams (CHeS), without warning or reason.
I am myself a homeschool graduate, having homeschooled for Grades 1 through 12 in Alberta.
I have two university degrees now (a BA in English in 2006 with honours and a BA in writing in 2014).
I’m also the mom of five children, all of whom have homeschooled from Grades K/1 until Grade 7 (and then have entered our local Catholic high school).
Three of my children are diagnosed with ADHD, two are diagnosed as gifted, and one has suspected autism and learning disabilities.
Home learning has had many advantages for our family, including stability through multiple moves and the pandemic and my divorce.
Home learning has allowed me to meet my children’s unique needs, even before I was aware of their diagnoses.
Home learning has given my children flexibility to pursue their interests and passions, to make friends, to develop strong relationships with their siblings, and to be themselves.
As a parent of children with diverse needs, I’ve often been frustrated by the educational options available to us.
My ex-husband was routinely unemployed or underemployed during our relationship, and my kids’ needs since my separation from him have meant that I have been unable to work a full-time job.
My kids’ needs have also meant that full-time public school is not the best option for them, but other educational options have high tuition fees and leave me paying out of pocket for additional supports such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and play therapy.
As a home learning mom, I am literally saving your government millions of dollars by being teacher, educational assistant and more to my children.
I am paying out of pocket for their education and asking just for some support from a B.C. certified teacher.
A little bit of extra funding to help meet my kids’ neurodiverse needs would be greatly appreciated. Instead, your government is limiting the educational options available to my children by closing schools like CHeS and making it hard to access funding.
The Maple Ridge newspaper recently ran a story that raised concerns about the fact that the growth of new families in this area is outpacing the growth of schools.
The government cannot build public schools fast enough to keep up with the demand. Increasing funding to alternative options such as Montessori, faith-based, online, independent, charter and other schools would not only meet this need but also better meet the needs of the many students in the area.
Please reconsider your decision in regards to shut down CHeS. Please support more independent schools in offering flexible, inclusive, diverse educational opportunities to children like mine with unique needs.
Bonnie Way, Maple Ridge