News Views

Differing views on teacher/school board negotiations . . .

"The teachers of the province have to be absolutely nuts if they think I (Joe Blow Taxpayer) am going to fork over another 30 per cent every year, to them. The ATA, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the whiniest, cryingest, most annoying unions on the face of the planet. I know a lot of teachers, and I'm friends with them all. But I really wonder how they ended up with such a bunch of yahoos representing them."
—Nathan Anderson, Jasper Booster , May 9, 2001

"Albertans familiar with class sizes, per-pupil funding and the shift to site-based management will be more sympathetic should teachers take job action, than those who haven't taken an interest in the troubles of our education system. After making Alberta's nurses and doctors the highest paid in the country, Premier Klein had hinted teachers would be the next to be rewarded for sharing the pain of rollbacks and budget balancing. But after building up their expectations, the premier delivered six per cent over two years specifically for teachers' salaries—a pittance compared to the 20 per cent-plus raises given to health care professionals—and 3.5 per cent in per-pupil grants. Considering school officials had been promised three per cent, the extra half a per cent wasn't much of a windfall."
—Editorial, The Lethbridge Herald , May 19, 2001

"Are teachers worth more? Sure. Are they worth as much as nurses? Probably. But the nurses had a stronger bargaining chip—a widespread nursing shortage. Educators may have the high moral ground on this one but the school boards have little wiggle room and it's unlikely the province will budge."
—Mindelle Jacobs, Edmonton Sun, May 24, 2001

"Teachers do have great expectations these days. But no matter how much fuel the teachers have, the public would be hard-pressed to support a 30 per cent increase. It's not as though they don't already make good money. The Alberta Teachers' Association is preparing for negotiations by stirring the fire with an unreasonable demand. Students and parents shouldn't be shocked. In the end, teachers will settle for something less."
—Mary-Ann Barr, Red Deer Advocate , May 26, 2001

Ontario's plan to provide private school tax credits is misguided

"Whatever the motive, the tax break is misguided. If the government wants to bring in a voucher system, let it make its case in an open public debate. Sneaking vouchers in like this, without explanation or warning, is dirty pool. As for religious schools, no one is stopping Ontario parents from sending their children to schools that teach their values and their faith. Many thousands already go to Hebrew school or Bible school or Islamic school, as they have a constitutional right to do. The question is whether the government should subsidize their choice. This newspaper has long argued that it should not."
—Editorial, Globe and Mail , May 11, 2001

"However, what's harder to grasp is the logic of the initiative. It's a bit like being half-pregnant. It can't be. Either the province has a public education system or it doesn't. It's not an institution that can be half-funded or casually propped up. What's most annoying about the rebate is that part of the rationale is based on the erroneous belief that those who don't have children in the public school system shouldn't be asked to contribute taxes to the system. Or, in the case of private school supporters, they should be able to put their taxes directly to the private schools their children attend and bypass their responsibility to the public system. Regardless of how the public system is doing its job, the overall benefit helps everyone, including those without children or those who send their kids to private schools."
—Editorial, Grande Prairie Herald, May 14, 2001

Ontario's proposed "strict discipline schools" is worth a look

"The Ontario education ministry does not envision military boot camps. Nor does it hope to create alternative juvenile centres, where all the meanest and baddest students could teach each other the tricks of the criminal trade. Instead, seven approved 'strict discipline' schools will offer regular curriculum alongside a structured program tailored to the particular needs of each student. The primary goal is to help students acquire the attitudes and skills they need to turn their lives around. After a year of demonstrating they are prepared to act within the confines of a code of conduct, they'll be back in a regular public school."
—Editorial, Calgary Herald , May 26, 2001