A Rural Education Symposium in Embro will educate the public about the importance of small schools.
ZORRA TOWNSHIP - Zorra Township is hosting a Rural Education Symposium on growing innovation and learn local
Councillor Marcus Ryan says those who attend will learn more about rural schools and how important they are to their communities.
"It's very much a symposium in that everyone who attend will be involved and get the opportunity for a roundtable discussion but we are going to kick it off with a keynote speaker who is Arlene Morrow, who is a currently TVDSB trustee. The other keynote speaker is Doug Raycroft, who is a former MPP and is the current chair and originator of the committee schools alliance that has fought for rural schools and single school communities for a number of years."
The other speaker is Heather Dirks who was recently fought with the TVDSB to keep the Sparta Public School open.
The event is sponsored by the Zorra Local School Committee and Ministry of Education staff will be attending. Ryan explains why Zorra Township is the perfect place for this symposium.
"A few years ago the Thames Valley District School Board suggested closing the AJ Baker Public School and it involved a few other schools possibly with that amalgamation in order to close the school and that brought the issue of school closures to the forefront in Zorra Township. Since that time Zorra Township Council formed the Zorra Local School Committee. The Committee asked if we could host this year's Ontario Rural Education Symposium to highlight the issues of rural schools and how important those schools are to those communities and how the current Ministry of Education funding doesn't really serve those communities adequately."
It's happening today at the Embro Community Centre from 9am to 2pm.

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