by News from Steinbach
One of the hallmarks of southeastern Manitoba is the near continuous growth that local communities have seen over the past few decades. Communities like Steinbach and Niverville have been ranked among the fastest growing in the province, and even the country. This often results in questions from those in other areas about what drives this consistent population growth. And that is a question that doesn’t have an easy or singular answer.
Economic opportunities and community safety are often cited as reasons why communities grow, and no doubt those are key factors. Less mentioned is the quality of the schools. And yet, many studies show that one of the key factors in families deciding upon a place to live is if there are strong, safe and welcoming schools in the community. By this metric, the Hanover School Division (which encompasses Steinbach, Niverville, Hanover and Landmark) has always done well and is at least part of the reason why local communities have seen such steady growth.
Of course, that growth also leads to the need for more and bigger schools. Niverville recently opened a new high school (I was pleased to be serving as the Minister of Education at that time) and a new elementary school in Steinbach is well underway. Expansions to schools in Mitchell and Blumenort also reflect the growth of those communities. The Steinbach Regional Secondary School is today more than double the size it was when I graduated from it in the late 1980s and it is in need of another expansion as it is one of the largest high schools in western Canada.
In addition to growth however, there have been a couple of other things that have caught the attention of parents and those interested in education. One of these is that Hanover was the first school division in Manitoba to implement a cell phone ban in their classrooms (at the K-8 levels). This followed a pilot project in one of the Steinbach middle schools that showed that there were significant positive outcomes for learning and for mental health. For parents who have long worried about the effects on their children of too much screen time this likely wasn’t a surprise.
But the fact that the Hanover School Division both launched a pilot and then decided to expand the ban across the division speaks well of local school officials who saw a problem, studied it and then acted upon it. In fact, just recently the provincial government picked up this policy and made a ban on cell phones in classrooms province wide. It is notable that a policy that began in southeast schools was seen as worth adopting across the province.
There is another trend that was reported on recently that has a particular impact on southern Manitoba. Despite a good reputation in local schools and continued growth, the number of parents choosing to homeschool their children increased significantly in Manitoba last year. This trend was most notable in southeastern and southcentral Manitoba. This is in addition to parents who choose to send their children to independent schools. Judging by the expansion and growing number of independent schools, it would seem likely those numbers are increasing as well in Manitoba.
As the former Minister of Education and as a longtime MLA, I have always been a strong defender of the right for parents to be able to choose homeschooling or independent schools as an option for their children. However, the growing numbers may indicate that at least some parents are feeling that they have no choice but to exercise these alternatives because there is something about the public education system that is causing them to vote with their feet and seek other options.
This is something that education officials in the public system would be wise to consider more closely. As the number of parents opting out of the public education system grows, it leaves open questions about whether there is an eroding trust or questions about the public education system itself. Regardless, society benefits from a strong public education system. And while the right to alternative delivery of education such as independent schools and homeschooling needs to be protected, those decisions should be made because parents feel that is the best option, not because it is their only option.
Kelvin Goertzen is the current MLA for the constituency of Steinbach. He has served in several Cabinet roles including Manitoba Premier and Deputy Premier.
