Editor:
Re: Time for teachers to question union, May 6 column.
As usual, columnist Tom Fletcher’s twisted and disrespectful comments against the BCTF leadership persist.
He chooses to ignore the reality that the leadership is directed by teachers to uphold their contractual fight. 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 BC 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 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. 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.
Parents know that teachers are fighting for kids, not their own comfort, and the millions spent by the BC Liberals to change this during the last strike proved ineffective.
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 wholehearted support from all parents and, for that matter, teachers and workers across Canada.
Niovi Patsicakis, Surrey