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Updated: July 01, 2009 12:33 PM
Dear Editor:
As the 2008-09 school year comes to an end, teachers across B.C. are urging all parents to start thinking about September and the challenges facing our public education system next year.
School districts across the province are grappling with unprecedented funding shortfalls that will lead to reduced services, larger class sizes, more school closures, and a lack of support for children with special needs. In difficult economic times like these, it is even more important to invest in public education and B.C.’s students.
Unfortunately, the provincial government continues to underfund B.C.’s school districts.
Across B.C., 34 districts had their budgets frozen in 2009 even though fixed costs like negotiated contracts, transportation, and utilities keep rising.
The result will be cuts to classrooms, fewer support staff for children with special needs, and new fees for the basics.
Some districts will begin charging already financially stretched families to send their children to school on the bus.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation, in consultation with our local associations, estimates more than 550 teaching positions will be lost over the summer.
Such a significant reduction in teachers will mean larger class sizes and less support for individual students.
Last year, B.C. had more overcrowded classes than ever before and it is only going to get worse in 2009-10.
This summer, please contact your newly elected MLA and the new minister of education, Margaret MacDiarmid, who are all getting ready for a new provincial budget on Sept. 1.
Tell them to put an end to the disruptive cutbacks and improve funding for public education.
Irene Lanzinger, president
B.C. Teachers’ Federation
Vancouver
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