The Editor,
The letter writer originally submitted this letter to Premier Christy Clark.
I am a quiet sit back type of person and tend not to use my voice except on voting day. Today however I choose to speak up. Hopefully my one voice will be included in the multitude of voices speaking up on the subject of the labour issues surrounding the BCTF.
As a Joe Schmoe general public member I am forced to listen to the rhetoric and propaganda slung around through the media. Both sides of the debate are twisting their position to be seen as the favourable choice. Frankly it sickens me to hear how each side of this debate justifies their position while the children ultimately suffer.
I have seen the media use the children themselves as pawns in the debate putting their sad little faces on the front cover of our local paper pleading for the teachers or the government to come to their senses depending on the bias of the article. This disgusts me.
It is my understanding that as an elected body the government has a responsibility to do as the population wishes. This is how it's supposed to work. Recent polls show that the population is overwhelmingly in favour of the teachers in this debate. I believe you are duty bound to listen to the people as it is we the people who are in charge, not the government.
The Supreme Court of B.C. has ruled that the last legislated law forcing the teachers to work was ruled as illegal and that the government was to correct this situation. The government has not done that and is therefore in contravention of the the law. It strikes me that before the government makes any more legislation in regards to the education system it needs to correct the illegal acts of the past. Until then the government truly doesn't have the right to create further legislation on this matter.
The key issues, as I understand them, are class sizes, special needs support and wages. No doubt there are many other issues but these three seem to be the key ones everyone is talking about.
Both sides of the argument sound truly sincere when they say they have the students' best interest at heart. I believe that both sides do care about the children but both sides are coming at it from significantly different approaches. Ultimately we all have a responsibility to the children to provide them with the best possible experience we can. Limiting the teacher's ability to provide the time and resources to our children strikes me as completely contrary to what both sides claim to be at the forefront of the debate.
I understand that by increasing class sizes allows the government to do more for less, but at what cost? These children are expected to go out and be productive members of our society ultimately it is these same children who will be the decision makers when we have left our working days behind us. We all need them to be as prepared for this as possible. It strikes me that the teachers are the people who need the largest amount of support in order that we produce the highest quality of students we can. We are failing our children by limiting their experience and education levels when we restrict the abilities of the people who have chosen to instruct them.
Madam Premier, I urge you to stop this bill and to get back to the negotiating table and to negotiate in good faith and with a willingness to listen. I ask the BCTF to behave accordingly when at the table. Stop using the students as pawns and bargaining chips in this process it is our future you are playing with.
Matthew Lees
Port Coquitlam
