Much has been said about the current acrimony surrounding the dispute between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and those we elected to decide the issue at (not on) the table.
If we follow the money, it will take us back to the point where this whole issue has arisen decades ago. It will also show that none of the participants in this dispute come to the table with clean hands. Not the government of the day, not the BCTF, and with all due respect, certainly not the judiciary.
In the now somewhat obscure past, some eager-eyed bean counters realized that the then-in-effect “special education” classes cost more than the “regular” classroom cost per student. Quite legitimately, due to smaller class size and the teachers requiring specialized training. So presto, lump all students into the general student population.
The teachers, again quite legitimately, plumped for smaller class sizes. Now enter the BCTF, smaller class sizes, more dues-paying BCTF members, more power to the BCTF.
Peter Bandi
Maple Ridge
