Consultation begins on control of class sizes
By Nelson Daily Staff
After losing their battle in B.C. Supreme Court two weeks ago the B.C. government announced it will work with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation rather than continue a battle over control of class size and special needs support in public schools.
The Province has appointed Paul Straszak, president and CEO, Public Sector Employers’ Council, to lead the initial phase of consultation with the BC Teachers’ Federation, said Education Minister George Abbott.
“The government has decided not to pursue an appeal,” he said.
“Our priority now is to work with our education partners to focus our resources on meeting the needs of individual students as we move towards personalized learning, while ensuring appropriate learning conditions in our schools and proper support for B.C.’s teachers.”
Justice Susan Griffin of the B.C. Supreme Court gave the B.C. government a year to work out an alternative to the 2002 legislation.
The B.C. Supreme Court ruling said the government infringed on teachers’ constitutional right to bargain with its 2002 legislation that removed class size and special needs support levels from the union contract.
The BCTF had filed thousands of union grievances over class sizes and the number of students with special needs in classrooms around the province, as well as pursuing the issue in court.
It is estimated the Province will have to add $275 million to the Education ministry budget to reduce class sizes and provide support staff to restore conditions from 2002.
The BCTF’s current contract expires at the end of June. It was the first-ever negotiated contract with the B.C.’s 40,000 teachers, after a series of contracts that were imposed by NDP and B.C. Liberal governments.
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