An afternoon spent researching scholarship and bursary opportunities for Grade 12 graduates was a stunning revelation of neglect of rural students in the 1960s.
While reviewing the financial rewards available to modern day graduates, I couldn’t help but think back 51 years to my own opportunities for receiving scholarships to pursue higher learning.
It didn’t take long to compile a list of what was available to my fellow students — a Governor-General award for scholastic achievement. If there were others, I wasn’t paying attention when our guidance counsellor provided the details.
But wait a minute — we didn’t have a guidance counsellor in our rural-based school. The principal of the day might have had brochures to distribute if an enterprising student made an inquisitive approach but there was no official counsellor’s office.
Graduates of my year were on our own to fund our path to secondary education.
There was a chance for a student loan, but my hope for such a financial boost was turned down because my family owned a business. That always mystified me because a friend got a loan even though her family owned a successful farming business — so successful that her family went on winter vacations to warmer climates, drove new vehicles every year and never seemed to be short of spending money.
In those gentle times it never dawned on us to complain to our MLA or Minister of Education about such inequities, nor did we know enough about scholarships offered in urban schools to add that to our petition for more equal opportunities.
The principal did advise me one day to enrol in a secretarial course and then, if I passed, she might be able to recommend me for an office job taking dictation, based on my already-existing typing skills. Her efforts were half-hearted and underwhelming so I pursued my own employment opportunity and got a job, without her recommendation. Ditto for many others in my grade.
I knew the G-G’s award would never be mine because of my negative relationship with chemistry and physics. When, I wondered, would I be called on to build an exploding volcano of baking soda and dish soap in the newsroom? And surely no one would ask me to explain why apples and oranges fall at different speeds.
With some inquisitiveness I looked through modern scholarship opportunities for rural students. Some schools outside the urban area have quite a selection. Other rural areas do not. My former school has more than we had back in the old days, but certainly fewer than other walls of learning.
If I were ever to win a significant lottery, I just might sponsor an enduring scholarship for that school, not for knowledge of chemistry symbols, but for community involvement, extra-curricular activities that help others and for a student who is kind to seniors and animals.
I’d better get out there and buy a lottery ticket — now that I have a purpose in mind for my winnings.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
