Here are some of the reasons why the teachers are protesting what is happening to the education system in BC.
– Class size limits and class size averages have been removed. The government says they will pay teachers more when they have a large number of students in their classes, but no teacher I know thinks more money for the teacher is a solution to oversized classrooms.
– There is no guarantee for a librarian in a school. This was taken away in 2002. Now there are fewer teacher librarians than ever before.
– There is now no limit to the number of special needs students per class.
– Funding has not kept up with inflation, meaning that there is less money for instruction every year, and less funding for classroom materials.
And most of all, the reason why every citizen should be concerned about this labour conflict is that the government legislated an end to the fair process of negotiation entitled to every Canadian under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Christine Bernier
Lady Grey
Grade 5/6 FI teacher
