We must hand it to local Bluewater School Board officials.

They have found the perfect way to beat both the winter and the recession blues. They are jetting off for a nice trip to Korea.

School Board Chair Jennifer Yenssen and Director of Education Mary Ann Alton are hopping on an airplane and getting away for a week in South Korea.

What is the purpose of the trip? They are going to Korea to study potential "cultural exchanges" with Korean school officials. No commitments will be made on the trip. This adventure is just strictly a meet and greet session.

We can't begin to articulate how inappropriate we feel this trip is. Questions from the taxpayers about this trip should be abundant.

Why is a cash strapped rural school board sending officials to Korea?

How can this type of trip be a priority for a rural school board?

Why is a trip like this necessary?

We could go on and on with questions like this. We're amazed and confounded that public officials - both elected and paid staff - could possibly justify an expense for a trip of this kind.

Have they not noticed that all across Canada there is a massive economic recession? Have they not noticed that tens of thousands of Canadians are out of work right now? Have they not noticed that tens of thousands more Canadians are worried about their jobs and concerned they won't be able to make ends meet and pay the bills?

Furthermore, school board officials seem completely oblivious to the amount of criticism the board has been receiving from local parents in recent years. Many parents have been so upset with the school board that MP Larry Miller has taken up the cause and has been heavily critical of the board and its poor public relations skills.

Bluewater School Board trustees seem to have forgotten one simple fact: they are elected to represent the ratepayers of Grey and Bruce counties.

We have an extremely hard time believing that in these days of massive government deficits and looming cuts to public services that taxpayers in Grey and Bruce Counties would make a trip to Korea a priority for school board officials.

The quality of education for children of Grey and Bruce counties should be the main priority for school board trustees and staff members. Earning frequent flyer points on the public dime should be the least of their concerns.