Po

its not about wages? So take
that off the bargaining table and
move on. | wish | got a raise
every year. I’m for the teachers
too, class size and _ better
support for children in need, but
at some point this needs to be
settled. Teachers make good
money, more than some other
professionals | know. Don’t say
it's not about money unless you
are willing to give up the raise.”

Some teachers
are blaming the lack of
understanding that surrounds

their profession for a reason why
some Canadians do not support
the current strike. A biology
teacher who chose to remain
anonymous stated, “I love my
students and teaching but I’m
tired of giving 100% and having
people disrespect and belittle me.
| would never treat other people
that way, even strangers. | think
a problem is the views people
have towards my profession. A
common myth is that teachers
get all that time off and collect
El over the summer, when in
reality teachers cannot collect El
over the summer. The only ones
that can are substitute teachers
who do not have a contract for
the following semester. The only
way teachers make it two months
without a paycheque is by taking
a percentage off of each cheque
all year, putting it away until
June. This is drastically different
than many other professions
like the forest industry or paving
workers who get laid off every
season for long periods of time
and collect El. | am not knocking
these profession at all, but that is
the truth of the matter.”

Many teachers are also
being criticized on the timing and
strategy of their strike. A current

teacher on the strike line who
requested to be left anonymous
explained that, “If we were smart
we would have gone on strike alot
earlier. On-time student grading
is almost a pipe-dream now,
but we’re trying the best we can
despite fact that the government
only gave ninety minutes a day
to complete them on top of all
the regular duties with their lock
out. Most teachers couldn't help
themselves and worked for free
to get them done, so strategy?
| think we missed the boat
here. The current government
will likely Keep stonewalling all
through summer and maybe
even into September - and | am
completely willing to continue to
strike without pay because | am
very afraid of this government
and its intentions for our most
precious resource - our kids and
their education.”

Again, the debate largely
centers on both side towards the
treatment of the students during
this crisis. However, what both
sides fail to realize is that they
are acting like bitter parents
during a custody battle and their
students are right in the middle
of the chaos

Some students have
finally had enough and staged
walkouts. Two Vancouver teens,
Victoria Barker and Mackenzie
Timko, called on_ students
across the province to walk out
of classes and picket all day to
show their frustration at “losing
out, all because adults cannot
get along.”

The duo would later go
on to write, “The students in
British Columbia have been
put in the middle of the labour
dispute between the BCTF
[B.C. Teachers’ Federation] and

the government for our entire

schooling. For some of us, thal
means our entire thirteen years

of education. The two sides are

like parents who are divorcing
and have stuck their children in

the middle for the last thirteer

years. Each side claims to be
‘fighting for the students” yet

each side fails to show how they
are doing so’.”

Sounds like a great idea
some students are against!
it. Sean Waugh, a Grade 12
student at  Victoria’s Moun

Douglas Secondary, is proposing

a walk-in instead to focus or

actually learning and catching

up on material missed on the
days teachers were on rotatin¢
strikes.

“Going to class is fal
more productive than skipping
teachers are there so we car
learn, and when all the students
leave it makes these stressfu

times even worse, Waugh tolc
The Huffington Post B.C. in ar

email.

It is clear that this strike
is pulling on many threads that
the current government does not

want pulled.

273 scHoot [7
# CLOSED gaame

by : Brooke Spooner

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