Powell River and District Teachers’ Association is calling on local provincial election candidates to commit to fully funding public education and improved health and safety in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a media release, the president of the Powell River teachers’ association, Izi Loveluck, is calling on all candidates in Powell River-Sunshine Coast to commit to improving health and safety in schools during the provincial election. Currently, Loveluck is calling on candidates from the BC Liberals, BC NDP, and BC Greens to advocate for increased protection measures for teachers working in the pandemic and improved communication from both Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Ministry of Education.
“Teachers are working extremely hard to follow protocols on cleaning in elementary schools, but changes appear to be made by public health without consultation with the ministry steering group,” stated Loveluck. “Teachers are doing their best to provide the education that students deserve, but they are having to spend a great deal of time planning for a different learning environment.”
Loveluckstated teachers are requesting a decrease in classroom density to make students safer and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. She stated that since schools reopened, many teachers in the community have felt that health and safety measures were inadequate and information from the government has been inconsistent and confusing.
Loveluck also stated teachers want to vote for candidates who will commit to increasing education funding to the national average and finally end the foundations skills assessment (FSA), which Loveluck termed an unnecessary standardized test that does not provide a reliable method of measuring individual student progress.
“We want candidates to understand that Powell River teachers really care about their students and that they are particularly concerned about the impact COVID-19 is having on the mental health of children, when our counsellors are only government-funded at a ratio that barely meets needs in a normal year,” stated Loveluck. “We are also concerned that, if schools are not fully funded and additional health and safety measures are not put in place, teachers will become ill. At this time, the district barely has enough teachers teaching on call and if too many teachers are sick, students may not have access to a qualified teacher.”
Powell River and District Teachers’ Association believes a fully funded education system is the bedrock of a civil society, and that teachers should have the same protections during COVID-19 that other workers in the province have, stated Loveluck.
