Is it OK for a provincial government to flout the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Justice Susan Griffin says it is not. Hopefully ending a 12-year dispute over B.C. legislation that took away teachers’ rights to bargain on issues such as class size and composition. Madam Justice Griffin said (for the second time) that the provincial law is unconstitutional and has been invalid since it was enacted.
She said the province bargained in bad faith and must pay the B.C. teacher’s union $2 million in damages.
There are two issues here. First, it is frightening that a provincial government has to be challenged in court for thinking it is above Canadian laws. Secondly, what about the children who were hurt most by the legislation? As a once-upon-a-time teacher who has had children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren in the public school system for mega years, I don’t understand how anyone with half a brain doesn’t get it — that the bigger the classes the less time teachers have for individual students.
To quote the Victoria Times Colonist, by literally forcing larger classes, the province threw students “under the bus” for the last decade.
Premier Clark introduced this legislation in 2002 when she was Education Minister.
Let’s hope she forgoes what appears to be a vendetta against teachers, and focusses instead on making sure all public school students have the best possible education.
Like it or not, teachers are the front line in the education system. If that means Ms. Clark has to eat crow and have her education minister listen to them, so be it.
Another disturbing issue is the Education Ministry’s proposed curriculum changes that could impact local school programs like Waterwise, Wastewise, Salmon in the Classroom and popular programs at the Gavin Lake Outdoor school.
More on this when I hear back from our local school board.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
