Teachers Dispute Leaves International School Scrambling
Prince George, B.C. – The Director of an international school program in Prince George is hoping for a quick end to the teachers dispute.
Shecana International School Director Sheila Hoeg says they have 69 students (elementary & high school) coming to Prince George for the upcoming school year and because of the teachers dispute will likely need to make some adjustments.
"In the short-term we've got to find out some different things for the students to do. It's forced us to look at some alternatives if they can't go into classes right away in September."
She says they're looking at taking them to places like Barkerville, local pools, parks and even city tours.
Hoeg says they've also had to keep parents in the loop noting that so far there haven't been any cancelations.
"It's been not too bad. They've been coming to our program for over 20 years (Europe,Asia,Australia,New Zealand) and I guess they understand that these things happen. I think if the strike gets longer we'll have to look at different alternatives."
Hoeg says that could include finding ways to feature the city and community without school.
In the meantime she's just taking the situation day by day and doing her best not to get frustrated.
"I'm trying to take ownership of the situation because I can only control the students coming in and so what I'm trying to do is make it as positive as possible."
She says that includes catering to the interests of students outside of school.
"They want to learn about the Canadian lifestyle, about Canadian home stays, what our families are like, what our communities are like and it just gives us an extra opportunity to be able to do that."
Comments
Should be an interesting few weeks coming up!!!!
For international students this strike experience will be an exciting experience. Considering that in many countries unions and strikes are not allowed.
Even the university teachers may decide to join the strike and boycott classes if an agreement is not reached or not properly implemented, or in solidarity with others.
international elementary school students? pretty tough adjustment for an elementary school kid to leave their family and travel around the world to live with strangers. I remember being in about grade 5 and having to stay with family in the okanagan for 2 weeks. I thought that was hell!
Wonder why private school teachers are not out on strike…?
If the teachers weren’t so greedy about their wage and extensive benefit package the government could put the money into reducing class size.
The special need kids should never have been integrated into the classrooms. Taking away from the rest of the class is not fair
If parents get $40/day/student, then they would get $8,000/student for the year. For a class of 20 students, that works out to $160,000 at 200 days a year. It is much less expensive to pay the teachers and have the students get an education than to follow Ms. Clarke’s stupid $40/day plan.
If the $40 per day is stupid and if almost everyone agrees that it is, then let’s see how many eligible parents refuse the money if it comes to that point.
Astro, your numbers are still wrong.
Only half the students get the 40 bucks
And the government pays the school board $8,200 (+/-) per non-native student as it is right now annually. Total all-in government funding for non-native is $12,000 annually. Private or independent school is $4,000 or about $8,000 less annually because they do not get a facilities grant and only 50% funding per student.
Forgot to add:
If you think getting 8,000 per student works out to 160,000 for a teacher working a class of 20 students you are mistaken because that is less than they get now and I don’t think teachers make 160k annually for 20 students
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