Solutions to education conundrum

In the past dozen or so years, the government and the BCTF have demonstrated only two things — that they will never agree and that students don’t come first. Enough is enough.

Teachers are well paid and get more time off and better benefits than most taxpayers. The teachers’ union has to defend all equally — even those less than stellar teachers who should just hang up their hats. The government clearly doesn’t have a viable solution to this mess.

It’s time to scrap everything and start over. MANFRED TEMPELMAYR Gabriola Island

I’ve had kids in the public school system the past 18 years. My son graduates this year, and I realize all too well how difficult this is on the Grade 12 students.

But I have seen the education system whittled down tremendously. I have seen support for teachers chipped away over and over again and the stresses they are under mount higher and higher. I have seen the arts and enrichment programs lose their funding.

I have seen teachers put in countless volunteer hours. I have seen them coaching, teaching music, holding clubs for chess, Shakespeare, origami and language, improv teams, facilitating leadership groups, taking students on trips requiring tremendous time and organization, holding fundraisers and food drives, providing homework help, mentoring and spending extra time with kids who are struggling, and on and on, all on their own time, all because they care.

It is time for the government to start respecting the teachers and the students. THEA LEVESQUE Abbotsford

Re: We can pay more for better education, Opinion, June 11

Minister Peter Fassbender’s mantra regarding balanced budgets is sounding very hollow. Gordon Campbell gave away $ 2 billion in taxes in his first weeks in office. Maybe it’s time to claw this back and invest it in public education. I for one do not want a budget balanced on the backs of our schoolchildren. MARY ROSE HENDERSON Vancouver