Uncertainty over the first day of school is especially hard this year for students and their families, due to the labour dispute between the provincial government and the BC Teachers’ Federation. For families of children with a disability that anxiety is heightened.
Shawna Bennet is distressed to see the regression in her 10-year-old son Isaac. “He lives for school,” she said. “That is where he thrives.” Bennet is concerned about Isaac falling behind in development. “We are losing time, and losing brains. The ground we are losing with my son will cost far more money.”
In a normal year, Isaac’s transition into a new class would have begun in late August, with team planning meetings and with Isaac meeting his SSA (support service assistant). That has not happened this year.
For parents of children who have profound disabilities, “we grit our teeth during summer,” said Bennet. “We hang on and count the days. This uncertainty is devastating to us and to our son. And this plan to have a two-week suspension of the strike and then yank the kids back out again—no thank you. That’s almost akin to abuse.”
Bennet’s concerns about emotional upset are echoed by other parents. Because many children who deal with a disability feel safer with routine, the unknown can upset sleep patterns and increase emotional and violent events at home. “When routine is disrupted it puts safety at risk,” said Bennet, and that impacts all members of the family.
The government’s promised funding for students for every day of the strike does not appease these families. Parents are actually frustrated by the government’s promise of a $40 payment per day for their children, according to Laura Cocksedge of Jean Pike Centre for Children and Youth. “There are no parameters for who is qualified to give this care. Is it a grandmother? I don’t think so.” Cocksedge also wonders how useful a future cheque will be to parents. “It can take months for them to get money from the government, but (the parents) need to pay now.”
In most cases the care needed for children with a disability costs far more than $40 per day. Bennet said it costs her $36 an hour to have an agency look after her son. “$40 is irrelevant; a slap in the face.”
Bennet is disgusted at the situation. “It is our province’s shame that our kids are not going to school.” And she worries about Isaac. “He doesn’t get the social interaction at home. He is bored. He asks for the bus. He asks for school. He cries. He wants to go to school for relationships: school is his community. He has a right to his community.”
