Education advocates and unions in Surrey are joining the call to save learning centres from closing in the school district.
“Our students deserve access to programs and resources that ensure their success and well-being,” Anne Whitmore, Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) president said in a press release issues Monday morning (Jan. 20).
“We have heard over and over from students and their families how learning centres are more than a place to get an education — they provide a safe place where students feel that they belong, that they matter and that they are heard. Learning centres play a crucial role in changing the course of students’ lives, especially for those who face barriers in mainstream settings.”
The South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre is the latest in the district to be affected, with the service closing at the end of this school year and students being transferred back to mainstream schools next year. This decision was made earlier this month by trustees due to what they described as budget constraints preventing them from renewing the lease on the space.
This has raised many concerns among the community, as the learning centre demographic consists of students who for many reasons did not or could not succeed in mainstream schools in the first place. Providing Grades 10 to 12 classes for students to receive their Dogwood, most youth in the centre are those facing one or more challenges: those who are at-risk, are battling substance use, have mental health concerns, were bullied in mainstream, are youth in care or living in poverty, struggle in social situations but are intellectually gifted and more.
After weeks of students, educators, parents and other supporters rallying to urge the school board to reverse their decision, DPAC, along with Surrey Teachers' Association and CUPE 728, are joining the effort to call on the board and local MLAs to keep the learning centres open.
“According to the district’s own June 2024 report, students who attend learning centres represent some of the most vulnerable populations in our school system," said STA president Lizanne Foster. “The comments accompanying the 5,170 signatures on the petition to protect learning centres highlight their proven track record in supporting at-risk students to achieve success and stability.”
In addition to the South Surrey site, Guildford Learning Centre also closed in December 2024, with the students from that centre now learning at the North Surrey Learning Centre, located at the District Education Centre. This decision was also made due to "budget constraints" preventing lease renewal and renovation costs.
City Central Learning Centre is also closing and will be converted back to a regular elementary school as of July 1, 2025. Whether those students will also join the North Surrey site or move to Queen Elizabeth Secondary's modular complex will be decided in March.
Next school year, three out of the five learning centres will have closed, with North Surrey and Cloverdale being the only ones left.
In the case of South Surrey White Rock students being transferred back to mainstream, the district promises to have alternate programs in the school that will recreate the learning centre environment, but Whitmore is not convinced.
“These programs meet unique needs that catchment schools often cannot accommodate — which is why students are at learning centres in the first place. Families and students rely on these alternative settings to thrive. Returning students to the place that often was the source of trauma is an unacceptable solution," Whitmore emphasized.
CUPE 728 president Tammy Murphy called it "unconscionable" that governments continue to under-fund education in the province, representing "a failure to uphold the education and well-being commitments owed to these vulnerable students.”
At CCLC, there is a large Indigenous student population, Foster said, adding that the move to close the school does not align with government's commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
"Decisions like these must prioritize the impacts on Indigenous youth and uphold the principles of equity and reconciliation," she added.
The three signing groups also call on local MLAs to petition the ministry to increase funding to keep the learning centres running in Surrey.
