ERIC Number: EJ1083046
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0002-4805
EISSN: N/A
We're Small Enough to Close but Big Enough to Divide: The Complexities of the Nova Scotia School Review Process
Tinkham, Jennifer
Alberta Journal of Educational Research, v60 n4 p726-740 Win 2014
Through interviews conducted in the fall of 2013 and winter of 2014, this paper presents a portrait of the various issues faced by community activists in fighting to keep their small rural schools open amidst constraints, most notably, provincial budget cuts and low enrolment numbers in rural areas. At the same time, school board members seeking to close small schools in rural areas faced their own sets of constraints. Participants were asked to discuss: their experiences in the small schools review process, their suggestions for policy design and implementation, and their notions around what small schools mean to rural sustainability and future economic development. Throughout these interviews, the participants from both contexts highlighted the struggles they faced during the review process and the impact of school closures on their children, their communities, and themselves. In addition to metrocentric (Green & Corbett, 2013) assumptions faced by the activists in the school review and closure process, there were additional issues concerning the configurations of people with different orientations as they attempted to participate in a democratic dialogue within the school closure process.
Descriptors: Rural Schools, Foreign Countries, Interviews, Activism, School Closing, Budgets, Enrollment, Educational Administration, Educational Policy, Economic Development, Barriers
University of Alberta, Faculty of Education. 845 Education Centre South, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5, Canada. Tel: 780-492-7941; Fax: 780-492-0236; Web site: http://ajer.synergiesprairies.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A