I’ve been very reluctant to write about the ongoing strike between the BC Teacher’s Federation and the government, mainly because I don’t know what my position is.
I see valid points from both sides and like many other parents and taxpayers, my head is in a whirl from the constant public relations spin that lurches around like the Tilt-A-Whirl on the amusement park midway.
I know my thoughts should be motivated by the larger issues: What is a valid salary for not only teachers, but all workers in B.C.? How much should taxpayers invest in educating the next generations? What about the many needs currently going unmet for our children, be they kids with special needs or simply your typical student whose school life is impacted daily by issues of class size and composition? But I’m finding it increasingly hard to keep my thoughts to the cerebral weighing of larger issues. I know it’s selfish, but right now, much of my mental capacity is confined to how the strike is affecting me, my household and my children.
My projected day care bill for September, should this strike continue all month, is $1,650. Ouch.
Yes, the government has promised $40 per day for each of my three kids, but not until at least 30 days after the job action is over. This means our household budget is having to absorb those costs until then. It has meant throwing out our previous carefully constructed budget and using words like “line of credit” and checking payment dates for the MasterCard.
I was awake at 2 a.m. wondering how to deal with this; where to cut back and how to juggle the whole thing.
I am well aware there are parents out there in far worse straits than myself. The personal financial pressures on teachers is also incredibly daunting. I feel for all of them.
I want to be concentrating on the larger issues at stake here. I agree this strike will help determine the future direction of the entire B.C. education system, but it’s sort of like telling a starving person they need to be focused on addressing issues like global income inequality or the root causes of poverty or food insecurity. It’s hard to look at the bigger picture when you just want to eat.
Now, that’s an extreme example, but it is reflective of where I’m at. My mental energy is working on coping with the impacts of this strike and how to meet the needs of my own children.
I’m frustrated because I want my children back in class, I want them learning. I can tell their brains are begging for it. In a household with two working parents, it’s a struggle to try and plunk everyone down after dinner with some workbooks and feel like you are making much educational headway before baths, bed and making lunches for the next day.
It’s very difficult to try and answer your eight-year-old when she tearfully asks, “Why can’t they just keep the schools open while they work this out?”
“It’s complicated,” I said.
I couldn’t find a better answer for her. I still can’t.
