Last-ditch effort to save London vocational school

Supporters of a London vocational school have made last-ditch pleas to save it from being closed down.

There were both impassioned and reasoned pleas to maintain B. Davison Secondary as a vocational school; most focused on students who supporters say were lost in traditional high schools.

"The kids could get hands-on work and understand what they were doing because they were being trained by professionals," said former support staff worker Angie Welch.

Welch worked at Sir George Ross and Thames Secondary — two high schools that were merged and became B, Davison in 2014.

According to Welch, what will be lost is supports for students who are struggling to find a path.

There were four presenters at Tuesday night’s public input session with about 40 supporters in the gallery.

"You were easily labled as a trouble maker. Believe it, or not, detention was my home room," said former Ross student Catie Tweel.

Tweel grappled with school and only found a path taking culinary classes at Sir George Ross and added, "... I took that with me for over a decade until I’ve made the change to health care."

There are now fewer than 40 students attending B. Davison, taking Grade 11 and 12 courses.

Thames Valley District School Board staff say more vocational programs are being offered through neighbourhood high schools and have argued students at Davison are disadvantaged by longer bus rides and by the stigma attending a vocational school can bring.

"There is much to be proud of in somebody that chooses that pathway,” said professor emeritus at Western University's faculty of education, Marianne Larsen.

She believes there are other ways to destigmatize attending vocational schools..

"I think we need to shift the whole discourse and think about vocational learning as being as important as pathways to college and university,” Larsen added,

The board says B. Davison will not be closed but could be re-purposed.

A review of all secondary school accommodations and programming is expected to be delivered in January.