Pembina Hills School Division’s newly approved four-year education plan has received strong endorsement from education officials while maintaining its focus on longstanding priorities. The board of trustees unanimously adopted the 2024-2028 plan last week, earning praise for its strategic vision while continuing to emphasize literacy, numeracy, and student wellness.
“What we’re seeing is a thoughtful evolution rather than a revolution,” said Superintendent Dave Garbutt during the presentation to trustees. “The core foundations that have served our students well remain intact, but we’ve incorporated new evidence-based approaches and community feedback to strengthen outcomes.”
The 2024-2028 education plan retains three key priority areas from previous years: literacy, numeracy, and wellness. According to Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Mark Thiesen, these areas continue to represent the fundamental pillars of student success across all grade levels.
“These priorities have consistently emerged as essential through our consultations with parents, staff, and community stakeholders,” Thiesen explained. “When we analyze both provincial assessment results and our own internal metrics, these three areas consistently demonstrate the greatest impact on long-term student achievement.”
The division’s approach to literacy now incorporates enhanced phonics instruction in early grades, aligning with recent provincial curriculum changes. Officials noted that structured literacy approaches have shown promising results in bridging learning gaps that became more pronounced during pandemic disruptions.
In the numeracy domain, the plan introduces more targeted intervention strategies for students struggling with mathematical concepts. This includes additional professional development for teachers focused on evidence-based instruction methods and expanded use of diagnostic assessments to identify specific skill deficiencies.
The wellness priority has perhaps seen the most significant evolution, with expanded mental health resources and a more holistic approach to student well-being. This reflects growing awareness across Canada of the importance of addressing both psychological and physical health in educational settings.
Board Chair Jennifer Tuininga expressed particular satisfaction with the plan’s development process. “What stands out about this iteration is the depth of consultation. We’ve gathered input from a broader cross-section of our community than ever before, including students themselves, whose voices are critically important in shaping their educational experience.”
The plan also incorporates stronger accountability measures, with specific benchmarks for improvement in each priority area. This data-driven approach allows for more transparent tracking of progress and enables more nimble adjustments when strategies aren’t yielding expected results.
Critics have occasionally questioned whether maintaining the same three priorities represents a lack of innovation, but division officials counter that consistency in core areas allows for deeper implementation and more meaningful progress over time.
“Educational excellence isn’t about constantly shifting focus,” noted Garbutt. “It’s about sustained commitment to fundamental skills while continuously refining how we deliver instruction and support.”
As implementation begins this fall, the division plans to hold regular community update sessions to share progress and gather ongoing feedback. The complete education plan document is now available on the Pembina Hills School Division website.
In an era where educational priorities can sometimes shift with political winds, does this consistent focus on core skills represent prudent stability or missed opportunities for innovation in other domains?
