The Editor,
A few years ago, many families of French Immersion students expressed their concern and frustration to the Richmond School trustees regarding their decision to deploy a "lottery" system.
The trustees were attempting to address the French program's popularity by using a lottery system to place children into schools offering French options. Parents showed up in great numbers to several meetings to voice concern over this method, citing that it would not address the problem but rather create new problems: traffic and environmental. An example of a lottery placement could place a student living in west Richmond to a school in east Richmond. Even in a good scenario, a family in a particular catchment would likely drive their children to a catchment two miles away simply because it's the most expedient method to get children to school when it's not your neighbourhood catchment.
The Trustees made no apology for their decision, which was actively backed by former superintendent Bruce Beirsto, and while CBC turned up to film these meetings, there is no record of the parents opposition and participation in these meetings. It's as though it never happened!
Parents knew then what we're seeing today - traffic and an environmental burden. Too bad the trustees were too dug into their surveys and reports to see what any child could see: lotteries are only for those who don't plan their future.
Carol-Anne Friedman Richmond
