In just a few short days the skim boards will be packed away and the beach forts will be vacated. Parks crews will start to take down the baseball fencing and the soccer nets will be pulled off the sidelines and on to the pitches.
Where did summer go? I guess the relatively lousy July weather just sped things up a little.
As usual, I ask myself at this time of year whether I am happy to see the kids going back to school.
I always miss the spontaneity that summer affords and I believe that summer activities like camping, fishing, hiking and just a day at the beach can teach kids a thing or two. As long as they don't bring their phones with them that is!
A few months back when we were going through the course planning exercise for my daughter I couldn't help but notice that the courses have not changed much the 30-odd years since I went to high school.
Sure, there are more elective opportunities, which is good, but the core stuff needed for post secondary is essentially the same.
In a world that is changing faster than most of us realize, our education system needs to take a futurist approach to learning, especially in British Columbia. Groups like the 21st Learning Initiative do good work but the process of integrating fresh ideas is painfully slow.
Premier Clark was in town the other day and spoke to how British Columbia will be Canada's face to the markets of the Pacific Rim.
China, in only a few short years, has surpassed the United States as our number one export market.
Growth in trade with India, Korea and other Pacific rim nations will create all types of jobs across many sectors. More importantly, new job opportunities will evolve and our educational system needs to prepare.
The premier suggested that there should be a more comprehensive understanding of our educational system and suggested that the government is going to take a close look at the relationship between education and job creation. That can only be good.
Where we live, here on the delta, it makes sense to incorporate agricultural units in to a K-12 curriculum so that we could interest a new generation in exploring business opportunities in farming and horticulture.
Would it not be reasonable to offer language courses that would enable future generations to freely converse with their trading partners? What about logistics units in science courses?
Some of these initiatives are underway but I think it is imperative government and school districts move the processes ahead faster than they have in the past.
The government will have a difficult time getting anything done this year which is a bargaining year with the BCTF, but it is encouraging to see that they intend to move down the road here regardless.
The advent of new technologies, global markets and border-less economies will produce a competitive world market that we cannot be complacent in. We have to capitalize on our geography and resource base to ensure that we can continue to enjoy the enviable lifestyle we do.
Education will be a key driver in our efforts to keep our children and province prosperous.
