Education Minister George Abbott’s tour of China to promote B.C. education off-shore is one of the more bizarre features of the current war being waged over our children’s future.
Even the most virulently anti-B.C. Teachers Federation pundits among us must be shaking their heads over the timing – and the optics – of his trip. It’s equivalent to a maitre-d’ singing the praises of the menu to potential customers while a grease fire rages in the kitchen.
No matter where you stand on teachers’ contract demands, you must be aware that public education in this province is in trouble – particularly if you’re a parent wondering what will happen when your children are due to go back to school next week after spring break.
The six-month ‘cooling-off’ period legislated by Bill 22 has not reduced temperatures one whit. Indeed, they appear to be rising, judging by news coming out of last weekend’s BCTF annual general meeting in Vancouver.
Incensed by legislation that imposes a government-appointed mediator with a mandate of no net increases to the education budget – not to mention removal of limits on class-size and composition limits, plus a potential rewrite of existing contract language – teachers are talking full-scale strike, legality be damned.
Even if moderates win out over militants in the BCTF camp, it’s hard to imagine labour peace during the next six months. And BCTF president Susan Lambert has not ruled out any type of action – up to and including a full-scale strike – in the union’s vowed resistance to the legislation.
Public sentiment, predictably, seems split between polarized forces on the verge of war.
Even the limited job action undertaken by teachers has added uncertainty to the process of applying to universities and colleges by this year’s Grade 12s. The impact of further job action can only be guessed.
With such a pressing crisis at hand, it would be understandable if parents are less than enthused about the impending certification of two more Chinese schools to teach the B.C. curriculum – a step which will give their students even greater access to our post-secondary institutions.
To some, the message seems to be that Abbott cares more about fee-paying foreign students than conditions on the battle lines at home.
Abbott may describe the certification – which would bring the number of off-shore schools teaching B.C.’s curriculum to 31 – as a “win-win for Chinese students and B.C.’s K-12 system.”
When it comes to Abbott’s mandate, a win-win at home would seem far more important.
