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Education tips from the inside

Surrey principal co-authors a guide to education in B.C.
97866surreyFaizelRawji
Sunnyside Elementary Principal Faizel Rawji has co-authored a guide to education in B.C.

With 50-plus years of combined experience in schools, the concept came readily.

Surrey Principal Faizel Rawji and fellow educators David Mushens and David Starr – who all live in Coquitlam – were having coffee together when it struck them.

In their many years as teachers and principals, they were all regularly asked the same questions: How should I pick a school for my child? Who's really in charge of schools? What if I want my kids in a certain class? Should I consider French Immersion?

"There are common things that parents ask us. I get at least two calls from friends every week with questions," says Rawji, a 10-year principal in Surrey who's at Sunnyside Elementary this year.

"They're looking at education in the rear view mirror, from their own experience."

The trio decided to write a book to provide accessible answers to many of the typical queries. Insider's Guide to K-12 Education in B.C.: What every parent and educator needs to know was released by publisher Pacific Educational Press last month, just in time for the new school year.

The book, says Rawji, is an easy-to-read, factual guide, devoid of any opinions or debate.

"It's basic stuff, but not so basic when you're going through it."

So far, sales have been "brisk," the co-author says.

"All of the feedback has been really positive," says Rawji. "We've been told we've found a real niche in the market."

The book is $19.95 and is available at all Kidsbooks locations, as well as online at theinsidersguide.ca, or by email (click Contact Us on the website).

The official launch of Insider's Guide to K-12 Education in B.C. takes place Sept. 11, 8:30-10 p.m. at The Ismaili Centre in Burnaby (4010 Canada Way).