Education continues to be a major focus of provincial public policy but the timing of the government's effort to engage the public in discussing plans for 21st century learning is a little premature.
The education system continues to struggle under a cloud caused by a labour dispute that shows no signs of being resolved and it's difficult to see how new ideas can be discussed when old issues haven't been put to rest.
At the end of 2011, the BC Teachers' Federation and the Public School Employers' Association were still far apart on wage improvements, class size, composition and concessions. It's either duplicitous or naive for the province to think it can stay out of this dispute when it holds all the cards to a resolution.
CUPE has shown a pragmatic approach and reached an agreement with the province, accepting no wage increases but some improvements for its members. There appears to be no resolution in the offing for teachers. Instead, we have a labour dispute with many administrative tasks, including report cards, being left undone and the fallout could be strained relations between teachers and administrators, students and parents the longer it drags on.
Against this backdrop, the province has announced it is moving forward with its personalized, 21st century learning model and wants the public engaged in deciding what it will look like and how it will be implemented. Yet for education to be truly flexible and student-centred, a respectful labour relations climate needs to be in place.
This is not possible during the current stalemate. Indeed, how is it possible to implement anything new or get creative solutions for anything when administrators and teachers aren't meeting or working together?
How is it possible to get new anti-bullying strategies, another item scheduled for 2012, when school work environments are under stress. Even in School District 43, a district with amicable labour relations, some new initiatives are on hold pending resolution of the current labour dispute.
Clarity and stability are needed now, not grandiose plans for a new education model, and some difficult spadework will have to be done in 2012.
