It should be a relief for Squamish parents and students that the war against teachers in this province finally seems to be over.
Teachers aren’t the enemy, and contrary to popular belief, they never were.
Over the 16 years the BC Liberals were in power — as long as it took for a child to go from a kindergarten student to a university grad — there was a blatant attempt by the previous government to paint teachers, or at least their union, the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation as money-hungry, out of touch and difficult.
A parallel and troubling disrespect for teachers seemed to grow among many in the general public during that same time.
Who hasn’t heard snarls in the grocery line about how teachers “have it easy” because they supposedly get summers off.
[Actually, many are busy taking courses or working a second job to afford to live here.]
And teachers make too much money — right?
When strikes and lockouts interrupted learning in 2005, 2012 and 2014, the anti-teacher refrain from some in the community ramped up to a fever pitch.
Certainly, educators aren’t perfect.
Most of us have had one or two indifferent or bad teachers in our lifetimes.
But the vast majority in Squamish are caring individuals who chose a difficult profession for all the right reasons — and our kids are the beneficiaries of their talent and passion.
It is extremely important work.
“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre, and future of an individual,” said Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.
And yet our government seemed for a long time to be trying to make it as hard as possible for teachers to teach and, therefore, for students to learn.
Currently, a teacher shortage is causing a strain in many classrooms. The shortage is a result of school districts struggling to return class size and composition to what they were before the Liberals came to power, as was ordered by the Supreme Court in November 2016.
Recently, the newly minted NDP government has begun preliminary contract discussions with the BCTF, according to Glen Hansman, the union’s president.
Hansman said comparatively low salaries in B.C. are making it hard to attract and keep teachers. This is especially true in communities like ours where housing is increasingly unaffordable.
Beginning teachers in B.C. make $10,000 to $15,000 lower than their counterparts in Ontario or Alberta, Hansman said in a CBC interview, suggesting wages will be an issue raised in negotiations. Other likely issues include further improving class size and composition so that students have optimal learning opportunities, he said.
The former six-year deal signed between the teachers and the Libs expires in 2019.
Recently, Education Minister Rob Fleming announced $571,000 to train about 100 French, math, physics and special education teachers so it appears the NDP government will bargain in good faith with educators.
Now it is up to the public, which has become used to trashing teachers, to support the government in this move.
