1.9 "Accessibility is a far greater parameter than choice in the quest for freedom" with Bárbara Silva

In our ninth episode of Public Good, Shannon and Stephen are joined by Bárbara Silva. Bárbara Silva is a public education advocate, organizer and activist, with degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Education. She is most passionate about building support for an equitable and accessible public education system and creating awareness about the proliferation of privatization across Canada. In 2015, Bárbara co-founded the citizen-run public education advocacy organization Support Our Students Alberta, which led several campaigns and rallies in defense of public education across the province. She now lives in BC, where she is a fellow with the Institute of Public Education. In this episode, we speak to Bárbara Silva about her public education advocacy in Alberta and British Columbia. In particular, we speak to Bárbara about the tactics and reforms utilized in each province to advance privatization and undermine public education. One such tactic is the employment of choice rhetoric. Barbara shares some key insights from her recently published article, "In education, does more choice actually equal more freedom." Through this article, and in our conversation, Barbara challenges the perception that choice translates to freedom--it is accessibility that truly equals freedom. She also speaks to the way that choice undermines communities. The episode ends with an overview of Barbara's important work with SOS Alberta, and now with IPEBC. https://monitormag.ca/articles/education-whats-missing-from-the-choice-freedom-equation/ https://instituteforpubliceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Occassional-Paper-8-November-8-2022.pdf