There was a big item missing from the provincial budget announcement this week, according to BC teachers.
The provincial government did not include the full amount needed to restore the language around classroom size and composition to the BC Teacher’s Collective agreement.
“Our students have been without the supports that they should have had for 15 years and, goodness gracious – that the government couldn’t get off their duff from November forward to get this completed, I’m really surprised,” says Rich Giroday, president of the Prince George District Teachers’ Association. “It makes you wonder – we know they’ve done some pretty dirty tricks in the past.”
Last year, the BC Supreme Court ordered the BC government to restore the student supports it removed in 2002. During an appeal of that ruling, Giroday says the government estimated it would cost $300 million dollars to do so.
“It’s unbelievable that they have not concluded this implementation of this restored language for the supports for students by the date of the budget. There is positive movement at the table, there is a feeling it will be concluded shortly but it’s unfortunate they didn’t have it in the actual budget.”
Giroday is pleased with the $29 million announced to further support classroom learning but says the $228 million earmarked to deal with enrolment concerns is somewhat misleading – the funding will be rolled out over three years.
It sounds like the government plans to do the same in its efforts to obey the Supreme Court ruling.
“Negotiations are still taking place at the table,” says Giroday. “What they are putting forward is $100 million for next year – that is what they’ve earmarked so far – and that’s for the next three years so $100 million each year.”
Giroday says the delay of complete implementation is unacceptable.