Editor, The Record:
The government is taking advantage of parents and teachers because they’re nice and they let them do it. The nature of teachers is nurturing and caring. They don’t go into teaching because they expect to make a fortune. They go into it because they like to empower kids to learn and be healthy contributors to society. These are not greedy people. Parents too, are naturally nurturing and caring.
The government depends on the parents to fill in the gaps left by their neglect. Parent Advisory Committees (PACs) are constantly fundraising to provide schools with basic necessities like white boards, projectors, gym and outside play equipment; even the most basic needs like books. Fundraised money comes from parents. So effectively we’re paying double taxes for our children’s education.
With the teacher job action they’re forced into because they have no contract, we have to work harder again to fill in the gaps. Teachers are limited as to what they can do so parents have to step in and do more. No one is complaining though. We need to stop enabling the government that’s putting the financial burden of our children’s education on us and make some noise that we’re not going to take it anymore.
• Increase the amount of money allocated per child to the schools so they can have the tools they need to learn.
• Increase the number of education assistants for our designated kids so teachers can focus on all their students.
• Increase the number of supervisors allotted so our kids are and feel safe.
• Reduce the maximum class size so teachers can give our kids adequate attention.
It all comes down to money. If there is money for chartered planes, management raises and retirement packages, there’s money for the basics. Since we vote in politicians, we should have some kind of say in their compensation packages. I’d like to know what it would take to reduce the fat retirement packages politicians get. When we’re suffering so much, it’s disgusting to see such blatant self-gratification by the people who are supposed to make good decisions for the whole province as a whole.
Make some noise on the Facebook Group for parents called “Please resolve the BC Teachers vs Gov’t Dispute!” I’m asking parents to join, share ideas and demand the government allocate more money to our children’s education.
Magna Goerke
Mission