Well, anyone following education news for the last several months in Ontario knows about the problems, especially with Bill 115.
I personally didn't agree with the law - it took decades of collective bargaining and destroyed it. However, the reaction from the public teacher federations, ETFO and OSSTF have been lacking as well.
In recent days, it was announced that elementary teachers were going to stage a one day walkout, which was to have happened today, but the Ontario Labour Board ruled it illegal, and it was cancelled.
Having the protest, especially barely a month after a legal one in December was ridiculous. All this trouble has only lost my profession even more support from the public.
However, I also take issue with the Labour Board - did they really have to take until 4am today to rule on this??? I'm no lawyer, but since we were no longer in a legal strike position anymore, the decision should have been easy. Not to mention that some boards still decided to either close schools or not run buses.
Hello? Most snow days aren't officially called until 6am. Even at 4am this morning, there was still plenty of time to get buses running for elementary students today. Ridiculous.
I've tried very hard to stay out of the political crap when it comes to teaching. As a
supply teacher on both sides, I'm actually a member of both feds. I was upset when ETFO did
the one day strike last month - I was told I had to participate,
even though I work on both sides of the fence, and the elementary side
only accounts for 20% or less of my work. I was told I couldn't work,
even on the secondary side that day, which I felt was incredibly unfair.
There needs to be some big changes in education in Ontario. Supply/Temporary teachers get the shaft, no benefits or job security - out of work up to 3-4
months of the year. Most boards in the last few years have been hiring teachers
almost exclusively on a temporary basis. Add to the fact that we have a HUGE over supply of teachers right now. The government and the Ontairo College of Teachers needs to regulate the number of people taking education degrees. In the last few years, Ontario has been overproducing approximately 7600 more teachers than needed every year. Seeing up to 200 teachers apply for one position is not unusual.
I hope with a new Liberal leader and/or new election that there will be some positive change and peace in education in Ontario... we desperately need it!
And Breaking news: OSSTF has said it will be cancelling its planned protest next Wednesday! :)
Showing posts with label protest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label protest. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Why DePape Did it.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1005119--why-i-did-it-senate-page-explains-her-throne-speech-protest?bn=1#article
I can't believe the Star actually wasted ink and bandwidth printing this crap.
It just goes to show that she is rather ignorant of how the political system works. She claims that 60% didn't vote for Harper. Well by that rationale, more people voted against having the NDP or the Liberals as our government. It also bears mentioning that we have three main political parties, plus many other smaller ones, which fragments the vote. On top of that, not all registered voters voted. It is highly unlikely in such a scenario that any one party could manage more than 40%, maybe 45% of the vote. And just remember, when we last had majority governments under Shawinigan Handshake Chretien, he never topped out much above 40% either. Lefties and Liberals get very upset when their side doesn't win and suddenly the system is "broken", "unfair" or whatever. Funny, I don't remember the Conservatives making a fuss back when they got kicked to the curb in the early 90s. They accepted the loss, and worked hard to bring their side of the fence together under one banner and making a comeback.
Not to mention her ignorance as well of government programs. Health care is primarily a provincial matter, and in actual fact, health transfers from the federal government have gone up since the time of Paul Martin. And the spending of such money falls in the provincial sphere, an area that Harper has no control over. So she's misleading on this point. But why? Because she doesn't know or she's been mislead by others or deliberately providing misinformation?
And she showed her ignorance again using the "Arab Spring" as some kind rallying cry... these are countries that have NEVER had a democratic government and have had to fight for their right. Not to mention the fact that their protests became quite violent as well.
And yes, our system isn't perfect, yet Ms. DePape seems to think it is... but I remember what Churchill said... "Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
I can't believe the Star actually wasted ink and bandwidth printing this crap.
It just goes to show that she is rather ignorant of how the political system works. She claims that 60% didn't vote for Harper. Well by that rationale, more people voted against having the NDP or the Liberals as our government. It also bears mentioning that we have three main political parties, plus many other smaller ones, which fragments the vote. On top of that, not all registered voters voted. It is highly unlikely in such a scenario that any one party could manage more than 40%, maybe 45% of the vote. And just remember, when we last had majority governments under Shawinigan Handshake Chretien, he never topped out much above 40% either. Lefties and Liberals get very upset when their side doesn't win and suddenly the system is "broken", "unfair" or whatever. Funny, I don't remember the Conservatives making a fuss back when they got kicked to the curb in the early 90s. They accepted the loss, and worked hard to bring their side of the fence together under one banner and making a comeback.
Not to mention her ignorance as well of government programs. Health care is primarily a provincial matter, and in actual fact, health transfers from the federal government have gone up since the time of Paul Martin. And the spending of such money falls in the provincial sphere, an area that Harper has no control over. So she's misleading on this point. But why? Because she doesn't know or she's been mislead by others or deliberately providing misinformation?
And she showed her ignorance again using the "Arab Spring" as some kind rallying cry... these are countries that have NEVER had a democratic government and have had to fight for their right. Not to mention the fact that their protests became quite violent as well.
And yes, our system isn't perfect, yet Ms. DePape seems to think it is... but I remember what Churchill said... "Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
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