Editor,
As we approach the provincial election, B.C. Liberal supporters are claiming that there have been no cuts to education under the current government, and that any staffing reductions are because of declining enrolment.
Data provided by the Ministry of Education indicates that since the government removed learning conditions from the collective agreement in January 2002, one teacher has been cut for every seven students lost to enrollment. The total reduction in number of students is 19,274, a three per cent decline. The total number of teachers cut from the system is 2,609, an eight per cent reduction.
The rate of teacher decline is almost three times the rate of enrolment decline, which indicates that most teachers have been cut as a result of contract stripping and chronic government underfunding.
Our previous collective agreement included firm limits for class sizes and protections for adequate staffing of specialist positions such as librarians, counsellors and resource teachers. Good working conditions for teachers resulted in optimal learning conditions for students.
The last three years have shown that the removal of working and learning conditions protections from teachers' collective agreements has also had a detrimental impact on learning conditions in our school district, Howe Sound. We have lost 35 full-time teaching positions since 2001/02, a 13 per cent decline. This is almost double the rate of the seven per cent enrolment decline over the same period.
Despite significant additional money generated by the international program compared to other districts, and repeated claims by administrators and school board officials that this money is protecting teaching positions, we have seen direct services to students decline at a significantly higher rate than the provincial average. The international program is clearly not protecting most District programs for students. It is critically important that the public receive factual information about the impact of contract stripping and education underfunding, both provincially and locally. Teachers are actively involved in a Commitment to Public Education Advocacy Campaign to promote a strong, stable public education system with equity in program delivery for all students.
Carl E. Walker
President, Howe Sound Teachers' Association
Disbelief over lawsuit in fatal crash
Editor,
I can't believe what Mrs. Baljit Kaur Dhanoa is doing ("Lawsuit filed in fatal Hwy. 99 crash", The Chief, March 11). Her husband was killed in the accident that happened in January of 2004. Her husband was one of the passengers who was coming back from Whistler. The accident rocked the town of Squamish. How can Mrs. Dhanoa even consider suing the family of the other victims? As far as I understand, the driver of the car that her husband was in was the one that crossed the centre line, apparently falling asleep and colliding with two other vehicles. How can she assume that these drivers who were northbound that got hit were driving negligently? She's suing for loss of guidance and a husband, loss of support, and other silly claims. What about the family of the other victims? Didn't they also suffer from this tragic accident? Didn't Mrs. Barbour who lost her husband and son in the head-on collision, also lose companionship of her husband and son? Mr. Gomer, who was driving from Vancouver to Whistler, didn't expect to be involved in an accident either.
Maybe she should start suing the RCMP too for not keeping an eye on sleep-deprived drivers, or sue 撸奶社区Transit for not having a bus service to Whistler at the time that people can take. How about suing the highway maintenance people for not putting a divider so vehicles can't cross the centre lines, and maybe she should sue me too because I use the Sea to Sky Highway on a daily basis. In my view, Mrs. Dhanoa is just being greedy and inconsiderate.
Michael Virly
Squamish
Seatless Test rider clarifies
Editor,
Much as I love to see my name in print, I feel I must offer a small correction (re: TOM factoids, The Chief, Feb. 25). Yes, I rode that race with no seat, after my seat post broke. However, I also removed the broken, jagged, seat post. I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid!
Mike Truelove
Squamish
