Knowledge Network changes upset local educators

By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published Sept. 27, 2003


A decision to seek expressions of interest for the operation of the Burnaby-based Knowledge Network educational TV station is being greeted with pessimism by educators and local politicians.

Burnaby city councillor Dan Johnston, a former employee at the Open Learning Agency, joined with the College-Institute Educators Association this week in decrying the decision as a step towards the privatization of part of the public education system.

"I just think, for the city and the province, this is a sad day," said Johnston, who once worked as the finance manager of education services for the OLA. "By potentially spinning this off to a private operator, such as they did in Alberta, you end up with educational programs being replaced by reruns of Family Affair.

"Right now, the station is able to run programming that may not be the most profitable or the most universal, and they run the risk of losing that."

Dileep Athaide, secretary treasurer of the College-Institute Educators Association, which represents faculty at B.C. community colleges, said the changes at the Knowledge Network come at the same time that the OLA is being shut down.

"We don't see why these agencies are being shut down," Athaide said Thursday. "The government says on one hand that they want a system-wide approach to post-secondary education, and on the other hand they're dismantling the system they have in place.

"This is a time to be building organizations and systems, not dismantling them."

But according to a statement posted on the OLA Web site this week, the decision to seek a "new model" for the Knowledge Network does not translate into the privatization of the service.

"No, for the following reasons," states a question and answer sheet on the Web site www.ola.bc.ca. "A new model will be a partnership between government and either the private and/or the public sector to continue to provide educational broadcasting.

The Web site also states that the province will always retain authority to designate the license, with CRTC approval, and to negotiate conditions on that license.

Whatever happens, the new license will always be designated for educational broadcasting, and the province may also provide transitional funding for the changes, which are scheduled to take place sometime next year, said the Web site.

The Web site also notes that preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate an ability to operate the public educational broadcaster on a self-sustaining basis.

The province has set a closing date of Nov. 24 for the expression of interest in its proposal.