Talks nourish school optimism
Vancouver Island News Group
Wed 07 Sep 2005
Page: 0001

Section: Duncan News Leader and Pictorial - News
Byline:
Source:

Back-to-school: But spectre of teachers' strike still
looms as kids return to classes

With B.C.'s schools reopening their doors this week, educators and parents
alike hope for a speedy resolution in the long-standing dispute between
government and teachers.

B.C. teachers and school district reps sat down for the 31st time since
November 2004 on Thursday with hopes of negotiating a contract.

B.C. Teachers' Federation representing 42,000 teachers and the B.C. Public
School Employers' Association, the bargaining agent for 60 districts
province-wide, began talks that could possibly avoid the need for a strike vote
among educators, scheduled for Sept. 20-22.

From Lake Cowichan Teachers' Association president David Halme's perspective,
the renewed discussion is good news.

"(BCTF) have been trying and trying and trying so it's definitely positive,"
Halme said. "You can't have teachers edgy and worried about walking out as they
start the school year.

"They don't want to do it."

The two sides met following discussions that steered clear of bargaining
issues between BCTF president Jinny Sims and Education Minister Shirley Bond
last Wednesday.

The roadblocks in negotiations include compensation, the right to fair and
collective bargaining and the restoration of class size into the contract.

"It shouldn't be called a strike vote. It should be called the 'are you
serious about bargaining' vote, because that's what it's asking. It's asking
members if they're serious about what they've put on the bargaining table,"
Halme said.

If class sizes are going to be an issue in Cowichan Valley won't be known
until the end of the month when numbers are finalized.

The district is predicting at least 9,128 students - down 183 from last year
- but is hoping for more.

Superintendent Peter Porte indicated more students would mean more teachers,
which he considers a plus.

Cowichan District Teachers' Association president Richard Nelson is hoping
the final numbers will bring a decent average to the district's class sizes.

"I believe the school board works hard and aims to have a class size average
not just throughout the district but within each school, " he said. "In the
past, classes have been as high as 36 students but that's allowed for in the
School Act.

"There will need to be some political change before we can see some
progress."

Recently the C.D. Howe Institute released a study that found class size
doesn't affect student achievement. The results don't sit well with NDP
education critic John Horgan.

"Study after study after study has shown that class size is linked to student
achievement," Horgan said.

please see Talks, 2

"Just because an economic think-tank comes out with a study talking to the
bottom line doesn't mean the student's needs were actually taken into
consideration.

"It was a traditional bottom line approach looking at test results. When you
focus on test results, you are not creating critical thinkers."

With talks scheduled to continue this week, the teachers' spokespeople are
calling for a serious look into adding class sizes to the contract.

'Sometimes things go smoothly in a class that's filled to the hilt, " Halme
said, "but if the chemistry isn't there, all students learning is disrupted."

Six more sessions are scheduled through out September between the two sides.

Copyright 2003 duncan

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