On
Mar. 5, over 570,000 public school students all over the province rejoiced for three
days straight. The reason? Teachers across B.C. went on strike, something that happens
most times when the government and teacher’s union are bargaining. The strike
affects students, teachers, and parents, often for days at a time. Other than
the demand for a pay increase, the grievances that teachers are bringing to
light were overcrowded classes, lack of funding, and lack of support for
special needs students – all things that are brought up every time a new
contract is negotiated.
The
last time British Columbia’s teachers went on strike was Oct. 7, 2005. The
strike was a response to Bill 12, which was introduced by the Liberal party and
ordered an end to job action. It lasted 15 days, and was only resolved when recommendations
from strike mediator Vince Ready were accepted by vote. However, every time
that there is a strike, it provokes a debate across the province with many
critics either taking a side with the government’s position, or the B.C.
Teachers’ Federation (BCTF).
While
it may be true that the underfunding of the public school system affects
children when they are in elementary and high school, more importantly, it may
also affect the performance of students in post-secondary institutions.
Taylor
Ramsay, a first-year student at Capilano University, feels that her high school
education did not adequately prepare her for post-secondary school. “I am a
firm believer that high school is a babysitting service. I was able to get
above average grades with minimal effort, so coming into university was hard
for me because I wasn’t taught how to effectively study, which I believe is
crucial for getting good grades in university,” says Ramsay, who spent her high
school years at Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver. Ramsay was also one
of the many students affected by the teachers’ strike back in 2005, though at
that time she was only in grade six, and saw the strike as a surprise vacation.
Although
the teachers’ strike did not affect Ramsay then, she can sympathize with high school
students, due to the job action not allowing teachers to do any work outside of
regular school hours, which includes writing report cards. This includes grade
12 students, who require such documents for university admission.
Ramsay
also believes that there is a serious gap in the number of teachers that
deserve the improvements they demand and those who do not: “Some teachers were
much more supportive than others. For certain subjects, I don’t think that the
curriculum is standardized enough, which gives teachers the ability to teach
things that I don’t think are relevant. For the most part, I do think that
teachers could do more, and more importantly that the curriculum should be
changed and enhanced.”
“I
can personally say that in my entire high school experience, I had one teacher
who I didn’t think needed to improve,” she adds.
While
Ramsay is one student who was unhappy with her high school experience, a
student’s transitional experience from secondary to postsecondary may in part
be unavoidable due to the differences between the two types of institutions.
Edward
Hamilton, who is the co-chair of the Communications division and teaches
first-year classes at Capilano University, believes that any student thrown
into an unfamiliar setting may feel overwhelmed: “I think students are more than
prepared in terms of their ability to form opinions and gather information, and
their willingness to engage in debate and discussion,” he says.
Hamilton
continues, “Where students are unprepared is probably the same place that
students have always been unprepared - that is, with the culture shock of
entering university for the first time. The university is like a foreign
country to many; characterized by weird customs, odd rituals, bizarre
expectations, and a strange language. We go slow in a society that moves fast. We
expect detailed support and explanation in a society that craves immediate
answers.”
When
asked whether the teachers’ strike affected him, Hamilton says that though he
was not directly affected by the strike, he did sympathize with the teachers.
“Education
is drastically underfunded in this province. B.C. teachers’ compensation is
among the lowest in Canada, while the cost of living in Vancouver is the
highest. But teachers’ pay is just part of it; the more significant dimension
is lack of support to classrooms,” he explains. “Larger class sizes, few
teaching aids for students with special needs, fewer resources for teaching and
learning. The B.C. government does not support students adequately; this is the
major point of the strike.”
Indeed,
lack of school support is where teachers think British Columbia’s school system
is lacking, which was their main concern during the strike. With ever-growing
class sizes and lack of support for special needs students, B.C.’s teachers believe
that the government is neglecting them. And although the strike ended on Mar.
7, the teachers have made their message heard to the public, as the government
continues to debate Bill 22 in Victoria, a bill that would ban further job
action, among other things.
However,
if past precedent is considered, this may cause the teachers to strike in
retaliation. So, whether British Columbia’s teachers deserve the improvements
they’re asking for or need to work harder, one thing is for sure: they’re not
going down without a fight.
//Victoria Fawkes, staff writer
//Victoria Fawkes, staff writer
|
