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2月14日
The easiest way to cut the education budget...
The public system has lost 50,000 students and the private system has picked up 7,500? I guess I know where BCTF teachers will be looking for new engagements once the public system makes them redundant. And won't they be surprised by the expectations in their new working environments - like that they will have to work full time to receive full time pay and benefits? Truthfully, I feel sorry for teachers. Their union has engendered a culture of entitlement which does nothing to encourage them to strive for excellence and reap financial reward when they do their jobs well. And while their union has succeeded in achieving a handsome wage structure for them, it exceeds the renumeration for school custodians by only about 15%, and teachers shoulder how many years of post-secondary debt before they can get to work?
Until the public system places the needs of the students ahead of the needs of all other stakeholders, it will continue to weaken. Parents get tired of watching staff parking lots empty before the playground has even cleared, while their children receive nothing beyond the bare minimum required per the contract.
Private schools are booming in my school district. They are moving into the schools the public system is abandoning. Parents are willing to ante up all that dough and why? Because public education has failed to deliver. In the private system, the parents have a stronger voice than an employee's union. The private system offers choices that correspond to the learning styles of children and to the philosophical leanings of parents. Whether it's Montessori, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, or tailored to specific learning disabilities; the needs of the individual are met. Teachers answer to Principals, Principals answer to parents. How sensible is that?
Remember, now that funding is attached to the pupil rather than to the school district, the easiest way to reduce the education budget is to encourage as many families as possible to enroll their children in private schools - where the student subsidy is just half.
[b]Many rural schools are closed. They, obviously, couldn't be converted for old people's, or low rent homes, but little kids now have to go on 2-3 hour bus rides every day.
Boards will prefer to close rural schools first because they can collect the extra grant they get for operating them for up to Two full years. They could remain open if partnerships to cover costs could be reached with a local library board or community centre. Windsor Ontario has schools that are partnered with just such groups.
When BC boards can collect operating grants on closed schools where's the incentive to look for alternatives.
A Message from Alberta: Hey Buddy, who's boat you tryin' to rock? I agree in full, but I think you might be taking a bite out of some politicians ass.
Especially being an "employee" of one of the biggest Asian scammers in BC.
Paul
In my opinion the Public Educational system that we have in BC at this time is a direct reflection of the condition of the Province as a whole. All of the factors being debated, demographic changes, lower birth rates etc are parts of the picture that has led to drastic drops in enrolment.
Underlying these shifts, and the real problem is that BC's economy is reactionary and not self determined. After 150 years our economy is still driven by exports of raw materials, our economy is tugged along or held back by market forces outside of our control. With the correct political and corporate will things could be different.
This province is blessed with deposits of Iron ore, coal, natural gas, and limestone; these are the basis of a steel industry. And what about a Plastics and chemical industrial base, we could have that as well! for those you need Natural gas or oil, limestone and salt water, and electricity. We could be exporting steel to Asia, and consumer goods to all of North America. We have the talent and business smarts her to have a World-Class vibrant economy and the stability that flows down to infrastructure like schools, hospitals and roads.
We're doing it to ourselves. When you promote Vancouver Island and the interior as retirement paradises what can we expect. Don't get me wrong, I love seniors but you cant build a robust economy on immigration. Apart from maybe a home and car purchase most retires don't buy the volume or variety of goods and services that a working family with children do, more importantly they don't have children to send to school.
As an insider I know there's a lot wrong at the school district level. Against good advice some districts built schools they didn't really need because the money was available.
Most Principals and VP's have a lucrative contract with their districts resulting in schools having a principal and a couple of VP's, as the numbers drop they spend part of their day teaching. Apart from displacing teachers it can short-change the kids if the admins have been away from the classroom for a while.
Stephen
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