OPINION: The BC government's provocation of teachers could set a frightening precedent
Two members of my family are teachers; I will therefore limit my comments on the dispute between the teachers and the government to its constitutional aspect. Through the Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act of 2002 the government had attempted to curtail the B.C. health workers’ rights to collective bargaining....
With lockout lifted, Minister asks BCTF to suspend strike
Minister of Education Peter Fassbender has issued the following statement: "On Aug. 27, 2014, I met with the lead negotiators for the BCTF and BCPSEA and asked them to suspend any strike and lockout activities if the parties entered mediation so students could start school and teachers could go to work. "The BCTF refused to...
OP/ED: Fassbender issues statment re: ongoing teacher strike
This week should be the first week of school. For students and their teachers, it's supposed to be a time of excitement and anticipation. But instead, it's a time of frustration and uncertainty. I am not happy about where things currently stand. Throughout this dispute, everything we've tried to do is to have schools open on...
Castlegar Selkirk grad wins $5,000 scholarship
Making the leap from the comfort of hometown Castlegar and the familiar classrooms of Selkirk College to complete a degree 450 kilometres away can be daunting for any undergraduate student, but $5,000 in financial assistance can go a long way to easing the transition. That eased transition is the experience for Christina...
Local cultural venues offer education alternatives in light of strike
An African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Let us come together and educate them too. As BC teachers and the Provincial Government work towards settling their labour dispute, the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society is offering free admission at the Doukhobor Discovery Centre (across from the Castlegar...
Tuesday was anything like a normal first day of school as more than 500 rally in support of public education
Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of public school for students in BC. Instead, students traded books for protest signs, joining more than 500 angry parents, CUPE workers and teachers at a march through the downtown core of Nelson to protest the labour dispute that has crippled the public school system in the province....
Now that talks have stalled registration opens for parent support program
Starting today, parents of public school students 12 years old and under can register at the government website address to receive $40 perstudent for each day school is not in session due to the ongoing labour disruption in B.C. public schools. The Temporary Education Support for Parents (TESP) program is intended to help...
LETTER: SD 20 Superintendent says Tuesday won't see back-to-school in area
August 29, 2014 Dear parents and guardians: Unfortunately, as of writing this letter, no settlement has been achieved between the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA). This reality has put the start of the school year in serious jeopardy. The normal hustle and bustle of the...
Stopping Conflict in South Sudan Though Nonviolence
When Selkirk College Instructor Randy Janzen traveled to South Sudan in June, it wasn’t to report on the looming humanitarian crisis caused by famine and civil war in that country. On the contrary, the Peace Studies Program instructor wanted to learn more about an exciting project where local and international professionals...
UPDATED: Mediator Ready walks out on talks; sides are too far apart
There will be no deal in the teachers' strike coming soon as veteran mediator Vince Ready walked out on talks between the B.C. teachers' union and the provincial government Saturday evening in Richmond, B.C.. Ready left negotiations saying the sides are too far apart to come to a resolution anytime soon. "I don’t see a...
