Dear Editor,
The court ruling against teachers was a dark day for unionism, our children, and our future as a society; we can’t be supported by an uneducated, unemployable next generation.
The Liberals’ Bill 22 is the culprit of today’s legal battles.
It set a precedent. Previously negotiated language was struck out by the stroke of a pen.
A generation of children have graduated from a system that has been and continues to be underfunded, held together by dedicated, all too often stressed out professionals.
Class size and composition is what protects teaching and learning conditions. Anyone who says otherwise is misinformed.
Can we put one nurse in charge of 20 patients and expect good care?
There must be class limits in order to teach all children well. It is a disservice to a special needs child when a teacher is unable to carry out an individual education plan.
Those vulnerable children require specialized programs in order to succeed. It is an irrational requirement that a teacher come up with seven different programs. If we want excellence, teachers must be able to carry out those IEPs.
If we don’t limit the number of special needs students in a class, there isn’t enough physical space for all their educational assistants.
Now, children do not get the hours of support they are entitled, as one educational assistant is often shared.
Many parents of special needs children have had enough and as a group, they are also getting ready to legally fight the Liberals in the courts for proper education of their children.
It is undemocratic for governments to renege on collective agreements.
It’s vital for teachers to fight this at the Supreme Court of Canada.
I believe there is whole hearted support from all parents and for that matter teachers and workers across Canada.
Niovi Patsicakis, retired Special Ed teacher, Surrey
