Welfare …. AFTER ALL !!
Or… Maybe Not !!!
Two Big Ontario Teachers’ Unions – The Ontario High School Teachers Union and the English Catholic High School Teachers Union have tentatively settled with the Province pending approval with their respective memberships which is thought to be a mere formality.
This is indeed great news, since the benefits for our students must be most significant – after all, was it not the Unions and even their respective membership who said that the students’ welfare was paramount for them in the discussions with the Province?
But wait, what I have read so far in regard to the proposed settlement this week include bonuses, increased wages (apparently the current top level- after 10 years of teaching – of $95,000 was just not enough), another PD Day and no change in class size.
If you count another PD as a benefit for students – that is to say – another holiday for them (I know, I know) there really is zippo for our kids.
But lots for the Teachers.
Imagine !
In a blog last week on the subject of the bargaining I laid out as follows what I had been told the real issues of concern to the Teachers and their Unions:
- Class sizes are too high - 30+ class size cannot be properly managed;
- Classes include numerous ‘special needs students’ which often disrupt the class and always slow the learning process for the non-special needs children;
- The old core curriculum has been replaced by politically correct studies; and,
- Students are not allowed to fail.
I could add to this list the inability to properly discipline and the need for more teacher assistants to help manage the huge class sizes and lack of effective training material such as computers.
As an aside dear Premier Wynne is quoted as saying while the teachers receive more under the agreement – they really didn’t because it comes out of the education envelope and it will not increase.
I guess translated this means the teachers are getting bonuses and wage hikes but the over all budget for things like teacher assistants and computers etc etc is reduced. Seems hard to understand since these were included in the issues of concern to the Unionites.
But not too worry dear reader – the memberships of both Unions have yet to vote on these deals and of course they are most likely to turn the proposed settlements down given their sincere assurances that increased wages / bonuses / and more PD Days were the last thing they either wanted or expected.
Again, to translate this for you – ‘like a snowball’s chance in Hell’.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
