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Gender gap problem can be mastered
By Colin J Campbell
Op-Ed Commentary
We were out to see the movie Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr story last night, part of the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club’s Rockies Film Series. Heartwarming and tragic at the same time. She was a brilliant scientist but never really rewarded for what she did primarily because she was a woman. Male-dominated society was more interested in her glamour than her brains.
Her attempts through plastic surgery to retain her youthfulness failed miserably, her beauty disappeared with age and she died a recluse.
Sad in some ways that this gender gap continues. A recent news article stated that School District No. 5 female teachers earn less than their male counterparts although they represent 75% of the workforce. The reason given by the School District Secretary-Treasurer is that it is not gender but education; more male teachers have Master’s degrees. The problem is that for many women they are juggling a career and family, which makes it difficult to further their education when the closest institute to do that is four hour’s drive away.
The comment from Dr. Rebecca Sullivan, a professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Calgary was that the district needs to do something to make it easier for women to get their Master’s degree. That makes sense, in this modern era of technology why is there not a facility connected to a university that could provide those who wish to further their education to do it at home? And why is the district not funding it? At a time when you can go online and get more information and more education than any school could possibly provide why would a school district not take the initiative to help their key staff to get the additional training?
The bureaucracy of government fails to be proactive and instead takes a reactive ‘it’s not our problem’ attitude. Education is falling behind and blame cannot be placed on the teachers; it has to be the responsibility of the group in charge. Better teachers mean better education, focusing on skills that are going to be needed in the future and encouraging creativity is going to be essential. The educators need to be exposed to the bigger picture through higher learning in order to deliver to the needs of the students.
I suspect that taking a proactive approach to providing the means for educators to get more education is not a costly idea, it could well be that providing the means through a collaboration of the college and other institutions of higher learning and using technology could create an opportunity for revenue generation. It doesn’t have to be just one school district It could include both colleges, College of the Rockies and Selkirk and all the school districts in the east and the west.
Why would we as a society not demand this of our civic leaders? Do we not have a vested interest in the future of our youth and their education? I can stamp my feet and get on my soapbox and rail away at ignorance and stupidity but if we as a society won’t do anything about it where is the point?
Having well-educated teachers is essential to providing the education that future generations will need to succeed in a world of high tech. We all have a vested interest; we all pay school taxes and we want value for our investment.
– Colin J. Campbell, CLU, Ch.F.C. is Managing Partner of Guidance Planning Strategies Ltd. in Cranbrook he can be reached at [email protected] or on Facebook
