Photos: Students rally for a resolution to B.C. teachers strike

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      Students gathered on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery today (September 2) to urge the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation to resolve their dispute as soon as possible.

      “We believe that our voices should be heard in this, and we’re suffering as a result of this conflict,” Kevin Dhir, a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary and one of the organizers of the rally, said in an interview with the Straight.

      “They should have resolved it during the summertime when the students wouldn't be negatively affected as much….But now, it’s September 2nd, I was supposed to be starting the first day of the last year of my school career, and here I am out here in the rain having to organize a rally for it.”

      Grade 11 student Charles Favreau said students have been used as a “bargaining chip” by both parties in the dispute.

      “However, we the students are another side of the conflict,” he said.

      “There are 85 MLAs, 33,500 teachers, but over 550,000 students in our province. We are not only an important side, we are the largest side of this conflict…Our voices, all 550,000, will be heard, and must be heard. We are the future of this world, and I for one would like it to be an educated and meaningful future.”

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Bob McPhie

      Sep 2, 2014 at 11:35pm

      Hey Kids. Get informed and take a positive stance. Form an opinion about the issues. Don't divide the adults in your life. You're smarter than that, and you have a voice. Use it. Who's wrong and who's right?. Speak up and loos the lame placards that say nothing meaningful.

      The Baby Jesus

      Sep 3, 2014 at 2:42am

      No, Bob, they clearly are not smarter than that. They're kids. It's in their job description to be idiots. Their brains, literally, have not yet finished developing.

      Scotty Sch

      Sep 3, 2014 at 8:36am

      I agree, if those signs are the product of 12 years of educating id like to talk to whoevers writing the program. If that was the product of my work id be pretty critical of anything that prevented me from changing my game a bit. When the work is good, the money comes second. When the work produces nonsense like the signs above no amount of money will be enough. Teaching/education is not a commodity, its not a practical trade that needs to be done quickly and effectively, its an evolving art and as artists they should be allowed to dictate their terms like any other. We should not be driving these people in to making a business of it. Its shameful to watch it treated like a game.

      I support teachers and students

      Sep 3, 2014 at 1:56pm

      The previous comments are very disrespectful. Instead of critiquing the students signs, let's stick to the real issues. We should also be congratulating these students for attending a ralley and taking a stand. These kids are young leaders and we should be showing them our support. By saying nothing we give up control, so I think it is important to pick a side, whatever side that may be. These kids are smart, and they will be fixing our mistakes and the fialurs of Christy Clark.

      disgusted at commentors

      Sep 3, 2014 at 11:55pm

      these students have more guts than you ever will, making strong statements behind a virtual screen. what are we teaching the kids, we as adults cant work things out?

      Scotty Sch

      Sep 4, 2014 at 11:30am

      No disrespect intended. Just trying to point out that the students are not offering valid arguments for resolution, nor are the teachers, nor is Christy Clark. Conflict resolution involves understanding both sides of an argument, not spattering the opponent with jargon. Its a stalemate based on dollars; class size is related to dollars, salary is related to dollars its all bloody dollars. The problem is not dollars, the problem is a dependence on propaganda to resolve issues that lie just a little deeper. Cristy's got enough guts for all of us but that just means she'll probably get her way, but probably not the best way. Its not impossible to figure this thing out, just apparently beyond the scope of your average education. That's a bigger problem.