Striking B. C. teachers remain defiant

WALKOUT CONTINUES

VANCOUVER • B. C. school teachers remained defiant yesterday in the face of public criticism that the labour standoff is more about small paycheques than big classsizes.

“Everyone is thinking it is about money. Every day I’m out here I lose $200. I wouldn’t be out here if it was about money,” said Richmond Secondary chemistry teacher John Ryan as he picketed in front of the school’s empty sports field.

Mr. Ryan’s main concerns are class size and the quality of education.

“We have a Grade 8 class with seven special-needs kids in it, where it used to be limited to two. We have math classes of 38 and 39. It’s hard to operate when you have those numbers. I have one class of Grade 11s at 36 students. Safety-wise, we can’t do labs with 36 kids,” he said.

Teachers, who stayed off the job for a second day yesterday in what has been ruled an illegal strike action, said they were tired of being painted as greedy by parents and the press when they cared about improving schools.

“ The biggest misconception is when I hear, ‘ those greedy teachers’ ... we’re on this line more for what’s been taken away with regard to class size, the composition, the support. We’re on the front lines everyday struggling with this,” school counsellor Lee Ferguson said.

The counsellor said teachers had to stand up for social justice even if it meant breaking the law.

“If we walk back in the school now and close the doors, we’re showing our students just to take whatever laws come along, we’re not showing them there are such things as bad laws.”

Teachers had trouble predicting what it would take to get them back to class and were steeling themselves for a lengthy showdown.

Parents, meanwhile, tried to cope with the lack of schooling. Some community centres and skating rinks are opening their doors, for a daily fee as high as $35 a day, to schoolchildren, and enterprising businesses are offering day camps — one a horseback riding camp for $50 a day — and childminding on call.

Some parents recounted how they were left with no choice but to take their children with them to work or classes, and at least one employer, VanCity Credit Union, has invited workers to do that or to telecommute when possible if they’re in a bind.