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I was flying home from Toronto a number of years ago when a friend who was sitting in a different part of the plane met two extraordinary people. John and Dandy were two brothers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who were coming to live in Canada after living in a refugee camp in Uganda. My friend spent the whole trip finding out about their story and excitedly sharing what life was like in Edmonton. I met the group at the end of the jetway and we chatted before they were met by people from Immigration Canada to began their new life. Having promised to stay in touch with them, my friend not only kept her promise, but has been an integral part of their lives over the past four years. I have stayed in touch with them as well.
Fast forward to summer, 2017. John’s wife and children, with whom he had briefly reunited in the refugee camp before he started his new life, were finally scheduled to arrive in Canada. A band of new friends all gathered to greet them at the Edmonton International Airport. It was one of the most beautiful and amazing moments I have ever witnessed—the guttural, primal sound of a man finally seeing his wife and children for the first time in years, and in his new country. It moved everyone to tears. This new family had a new home, a new province and a new extended family. They also had access to Alberta’s world-renowned public education system.
That all people in Alberta, including newcomers to the province, have access to exceptional public education is a result of many years of struggle. In this issue, contributors Gordon Thomas and Maggie Shane describe some of the historical elements that have led to the excellent system we have in place today. We cannot become complacent, however, as both Russell Cobb and David Berliner note.
The situation in the United States could be considered the canary in the coal mine for education in Alberta. As Cobb describes in his article “Down and Out in Tulsa,” the gradual erosion of support and funding for public education led to a breaking point at which Oklahoma teachers marched to the state capital until government officials listened.
In a Q&A entitled “The Fight For Public Education Is a Fight For Democracy,” Berliner notes that systems of vouchers and private schools lead to an educational apartheid in which schools can discriminate on the basis of income, race, or religion and can create homogenous cohorts that are unprepared for diversity in society.
What we have in Alberta is something to be treasured. Contributor Mark Yurick recalls his time as principal of a large Edmonton middle school where the diversity of students was not seen as undesirable but rather an occasion to celebrate sameness—humanity—while recognizing and celebrating differences. There is always room for improvement, however. In the article, “The Real Power of Choice,” participants in the Finland-Alberta partnership advance their belief that the elements of flexibility within Finnish schools should be considered in our province as high school redesign initiatives continue.
Now back to our two brothers from the Congo. In the past few months, both John and Dandy have become Canadian citizens. They are both employed and are active in their communities. They also volunteer to help others who are new to Canada. Their beautiful children are already thriving within Alberta’s public school system and will, no doubt, be productive, valuable citizens.
The struggle for public education has been a long one … and it’s not over. We cannot take for granted the outstanding system we have come to know. We must be prepared to take action to keep our public education system and our democracy strong.
