Glad to see the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has stepped in to bring some common sense to the situation. Teachers can not jack up the price of education like an oil company gouging at the gas pumps. All the talk of fair wage, bargaining and contracts is drivel to energize the union thugs. The reality is the government will set the balance, not the BCTF. Governments do not appease hostage takers.

The Goverment IS A HOSTAGE TAKER. Don

Yes indeed, the Taxpayers Federation, AKA right wing big business is once again on the move. I thought they had spent all their money campaigning for Gordo in the last election. I guess they must have a few lawyer members who donate time. Bottom line, the name is is a misnomer. Have they considered suing businesses for gouging?

For your covenience, the vehicles of militant leftists are now being marked with yellow surveyors tape.

Big business benefits from the school "babysitting service" as it enables parents to go out and work for minimum wages. Perhaps the employers should be providing their own babysitting service, or make a hefty contribution to the school system.

I do not want to pay school taxes for a babysitting service so that other people can dump off their kids at school and go out to earn beer money. I have no children in school but do not mind helping to support a quality education system.

Deathtosocialism, please use pink!

According to the latest reports, Vince Ready is already having some success. It looks like it may not be much longer before there is a resolution, once the necessary face-saving comments and posturing is satisfied. I'm glad Mr. Campbell finally saw sense, but it would have been so much simpler if he had done something like this a week ago.

Ammonra - I wish they would have used pink, I would have enjoyed the irony! lol

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a joke. They were formed to push government to decrease taxes. So what is this 'liberal friendly' group doing getting involved in labour disputes? I took the time to email them but of course, they don't take the time to answer and explain. I think Gordons sister might be the senior exec. (Maybe his mom?)

This is Gordons plan for education.



Of all the post-secondary education (PSE) initiatives implemented by the Campbell government, the one that will have the biggest impact has received the least amount of attention. In 2002, the government passed the Degree Authorization Act and opened up post-secondary education to the private sector.

The Act set out new parameters for the granting of degrees and restricted the use of the coveted term “university.” A Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB), was created to review applications and make recommendations to the Minister of Advanced Education. Another approval process was set up for institutions that wanted to grant degrees under the “university” designation.

The first institution to undergo the government’s new application process, University Canada West (UCW), recently won approval to grant two degrees and is currently awaiting approval for five more. UCW also obtained ministerial approval to use the term, “university.” UCW is the first private, for profit university in Canada authorized by a government.

After spending three decades working in government institutions, UCW’s founder David Strong recognized the demand for post-secondary education would never be fully satisfied in a system that relied on a limited supply of tax dollars. Because government funded spaces are limited and demand keeps growing, entrance grade requirements have jumped up to 82%. The reason government universities can’t keep pace with demand is because they rely on a single resource source--the taxpayer.

A private university has investors who want a return on their dollar which means growth in the student population is essential to success. As Strong notes, “Because we are a private sector corporate entity, we have access to investors and investment markets and are independent from government funding--- although we are subject to the same government quality assessments as any university in BC. This puts us in a unique position in the province to deliver post-secondary education in new and innovative ways.” Unique, indeed.

UCW will be offering students three year degrees, smaller class sizes, access to a learning coach as well as a program assistant. The MBA program, for example, will combine internet based courses and periodical in-class learning- the earn while you learn approach. It makes sense that a private university would be student focused, innovative and flexible.

Students are UCW’s customers. Student success in the marketplace post-graduation will be the best measuring stick of UCW’s success. That’s a market based economy at work.

Opening up PSE to the private sector will also force government funded schools to compete for students, to be more responsive to students and market needs.

Suddenly, students are not simply government funded spaces, worth a certain of amount tax dollars, they are, customers. As such, students can shop around and find the best bang for their buck or find a program that is tailored to meet their needs. Government institutions no longer have a de facto monopoly on education and consequently tuition fees.

The Liberal’s should be commended for opening up post-secondary education to the market, offering students more choices, ending the state-run monopoly and easing the unsustainable pressure on the public purse.

Yawn, interesting comment. Seems the only law everyone agrees on is the laws of gravity. Then again I'm not so sure about that with all the spinning, flapping and tripping over themselves to float more hot air.
It certainly does look like the teachers have been out foxed by the government again. Teachers have cited class size as a problem, so the government says OK, we'll talk about it. That must be a huge disappointment for the teachers as there is no class size problem, but now their bluff has been called and they have to fold. Ha Ha! No more money! Hi Ho it's off to school we go!

This is not meant to upset people just open a new topic of debate that should be addressed about the use of tax dollars, teachers, public school system and some of the special needs kids. How can we keep our education standards up high to ensure that we have a very educated youth? How can we ensure all kids get all the education each needs IE: Special needs, (FAS&NS or do we say Mentally challenged) and non special needs kids?

Please understand I am not against any "Special Needs Kids"!!! However...

No one anywhere wants to open this can of worms so I am. This reasoning of mine comes from a ParentTeacher interview I had with a teacher concerning one of my children a long time ago. The teacher did not have a "Teachers aid" so the teacher was forced to sort out kids that could learn with minimum of teacher input. These kids were put aside to "Learn on their own" more or less. The rest of the time the teacher had to deal with "FASNS or Mentally Challenged" kids.

The teacher was very distraught at having to teach like this but had no choice. The teacher spent the greater part of the teaching year tending to a specific group in the "Special needs" group. Because of this my children and many other children did not receive proper teaching from their teachers that they were deserved. There are thousands upon thousands of parents who if they are honest and true would agree to this.

I feel (Probably lots of parents feel the same way) that we were the one's who were disadvantaged on use of their tax dollars to educate their children when as a point of fact their children weren't given nearly the same teaching time as they were entitled to.

An honest teacher and teachers aid can tell you what these poor kids are up against trying to learn on a daily basis. Learning life skills alone will be a huge challenge for them.

However there is a big difference between "Handicapped & FAS&NS" (Mentally challenged) kids. Some can and will learn all they are offered, but many just won't be able to learn as fast and effectively no matter how much education we give them.

How can this be addressed? It should!

Smaller class size?
More teachers aid's?
Special needs classes for those who need to learn basic life skills?
Trained professionals to teach these individuals?
Other solutions?

What I am for is quality education for kids. All kids.

"Special Needs" rather than something like "Mentally challenged" is the term used because those children include some who do not have a lower than average intellectual state at all. However, Special Needs children would include autistic children, those with chromosome defects (perhaps those you have in mind) and many other specific problems which require them to be given greater attention. It should be noted that the greatest physicist of our time, the absolute genius Steven Hawking, who understands more about the universe than any other living human, would be a Special Needs child if he were in school today. In other words, it is not about mental capability, although that may be involved, it is about the individual child's need for more support than the usual, hence the term.

The resolution is surely very plain to see. The fact is that both Special Needs children and Regular Needs children both benefit socially from contact with each other. Both are in the population and an education requires that children learn about others and how to interact, because they are going to have to for the rest of their lives. What better way to teach how to than by actually interacting? The resolution is not to remove these children from classes, but for people other than teachers to provide the "Special Needs" that these children require. Teacher's time should be for teaching, Special Needs Aides time should be for doing whatever else is required for them. I know that the government says it provides funds for this, but my observation, and that of friends who have a Special Needs child is that these funds are inadequate.

It is tempting to suggest that Special Needs children should be isolated in Special Schools, but I would suggest that means of dealing with them would be even more expensive. Out of sight, out of mind is the way it was done in the past and it was a gross failure, and these children were often completely unable to function in society. All children, including those with special needs, have the right to a suitable education.

Building special schools, staffing them adequately and giving the necessary attention to these young citizens of BC would require major funding, considerably in excess of that provided under the present system. Given that doing this would decrease the social education of every child in the system, I believe it would be a retrograde step and should be avoided. I would, however, suggest that many more Aides should be hired to assist teachers who have such a child in their class. Doing so would be the most economical approach, and would retain the benefits to the school population at large. It does, however, require that more money be provided for the purpose to School Boards. It would be money very well spent.

Pioneer, you are absolutely correct. In this day and age we can't say anything that is not "politically correct" but I believe there should be special classes for the special needs children that cannot, through no fault of their own, learn at the same rate as other students. I have had 3 children go through the school system and I have asked each of them what their thoughts were, and they all feel the same as I do. For each of the special needs students there was always one teacher/caregiver with them at all times. If there was a class, even with 5 or 6 special needs students with one teacher that specialized in this, it would save a tremendous amount of money across the province. Social skills could still be learned at recess time and lunch time, just not in the classroom where it distracts from the learning time. I know I will probably get bashed from some people that don't agree with me, but this is only my opinion.

Good post Duffer, Ammonra is dreaming in techno color again. No matter how ammonra cuts it the regular kids always suffer, why is that?