School Boards and “Catchment Areas”

12.  School Boards cling to catchment area policies to retain central office control. 

Think how sinister that term “catchment area” sounds.  Reminds me of how the phrase “beyond the pale” is used — people (Jews, Gaelic Irish) daring to settle outside their assigned territories or boundaries in old Russia, Ireland, Europe.  Or it brings to mind the caricatures of truant officers of old, knocking on doors, in search of and “catching” absent school children.

Anyway, I have recently been looking at the websites of school boards in BC and find a disturbing number still using the term “catchment areas”.  What if parents were innocently looking for new housing in a new community and found a “good” school as their first criteria for resettling. Wouldn’t this “catchment area” policy force them to look for property only in that area? 

France has recently aroused serious controversy and protest because of education reforms.  Some of the concerns are voiced by teachers losing jobs because of redundancy.  See this quote about catchment area reforms:

One of the most controversial reforms has been the liberalisation of the catchment area system. Since classes resumed in September French families can apply to any state school they want: They no longer have to apply to the institutions in their local area. Supporters of the change say it decreases segregation, as good schools in rich areas are no longer reserved to rich families, while opponents argue it will increase inequality, as it increases competition between institutions." 
 

story here