Students back, teachers’ turn today

By MIKE YOUDS,
MICHELE YOUNG,
& MEL ROTHENBURGER

It was the students’ turn Wednesday. Today (Thursday), Kamloops teachers enter round two of their rotating strikes and there could be more on the way.

As teachers in the Kamloops-Thompson school district were setting up their picket lines this morning, it was with the knowledge they’ll be staging more rotating strikes next week and will vote on possible escalation to full strike mode.

The Labour Relations Board ruled Wednesday it’s legal for the B.C. Public Schools Employers Association to dock teachers’ pay 10 per cent during their job action.

B.C. Teachers Federation president Jim Iker said progress in contract talks has been too slow.

Wednesday, that’s exactly what students were protesting as they walked out of classes. They were few but they were certainly visible in front of secondary schools.

A handful of students at Beattie School of the Arts’ John Peterson campus, Valleyview secondary and NorKam were among hundreds provincewide who walked out of classes to protest the continuing labour dispute between the provincial government and teachers.

“It’s needed,” said Megan Laforge in front of Valleyview. “We have a voice, too.”

An estimated 20 or 30 Valleyview students took part in the protest initially, but only a dozen remained by 9:30 a.m. They said they were doing it on behalf of students, not teachers or the government, although the government’s lockout measures are clearly a pressing concern in relation to studies.

“What about us?,” said Drew Ecchhorn. “This is for our future. Teachers should help us.”

“Some kids are failing and can’t get help,” said Logan Schindel.

“We’re just so tired of strikes happening,” added Brad Jones. “It’s like every year.”

They planned to continue the walkout all day.

There seemed to be no participation by South Kamloops secondary students, but their peers at neighbouring Beattie campus were clear in their resolve to stage the protest.

“I think by having the lockout of teachers, it affects kids’ education,” said Shay Paul, a Grade 8 student. “They don’t have time before or after school. It’s really taking a toll on students. They can’t get access, especially with final exams coming up.”

After they were told by principal Barb Hamblett to take the protest off school property, the group headed down Fifth Avenue to the downtown.

“She’s doing her job,” said one student, who added that they didn’t want to be disrespectful.

Brendan Stokes, a Grade 9 Beattie student, was clearly there to back teachers’ demands.

“I’m supporting my grandma,” he said, sporting a white Stetson. “She’s a teacher. We’ve sort of been stuck in the middle, but we’re done. Figure something out.”

The slogan chanting, placard wielding group marched down Victoria Street to City Hall, posed for a photo on the front steps, and then returned up Victoria Street.

At NorKam, two dozen students emerged a few minutes after 9 a.m., most assembling on the sidewalk in front of the school with a few stationing themselves on Tranquille Road to wave at motorists.

Passing cars honked at them in support.

Grade 11 student Summer Nukina was on the teachers’ side of the dispute as were many other students who walked out, but she said the message was that the two sides must work out their problems.

“Definitely I think if more people walk out the principal and administrati on will take it as, we need to get together.”

Adrian Harland, who graduates this year, said he was hoping for at least 50 students to join them to avoid the possibility of being disciplined. He carried a placard that read “Hey government, leave these teachers alone.” He said it was a play on words from a Pink Floyd song, “Hey teachers, leave those kids alone.”

Caleb Johnson, also in Grade 12, worried it will get harder to find good teachers because teaching is becoming less attractive as a career.

“What teachers are going through here, they don’t really have enough persuasion to go into teaching. They’re not going to want to be here.”

Grade 10 student Tyler Campbell was just hoping he won’t have to lose much more class time and that their protest would help “get the talks going.”

On the other side of the parking lot, several students from a girls’ auto mechanics class were sitting on the grass studying. They had no interest in joining the protest.

“I think the students are walking out for the wrong reason,” said Miranda Taylor. “I do support the fact they want to help us but they’re just making it worse for us by walking out. I’d rather be in class than being out of class and falling behind.”

Just like the protesters, they were concerned about not being able to get help from teachers during lunch hours.

Jasmine Woodland will graduate this year. “We only have a couple of weeks left and we’re stuck between teachers not being able to help us and not even being able to go to our grad.

“Most students do it (protest) for themselves and don’t even know why they’re doing it. They just want a get-out-of-class pass, sort of thing. It’s difficult because I’m trying to graduate and I can’t get the help I need to feel secure with my grades.”

While many students were worried about being disciplined, superintendent of schools Terry Sullivan said suspensions won’t be handed out.

But he said parents were being called to come and get their sons and daughters if they were part of the protest.

“We’re calling parents and asking them to come and get them,” he said. “I’m not into suspending students. But they can’t be walking around, disrupting the day.”

Principals of all Kamloops high schools sent voice messages to parents Tuesday night to get their support in keeping kids in school, but many of the students in Wednesday’s walkout said their parents were in favour of it.

The vast majority of Kamloops students remained in class. Sullivan said they’re coming up on provincial exams and getting final assignments completed, so the walkout was badly timed.

“I understand people may have strong views either way, but as Jason Karpuk (president of the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association) said, there are other ways they can express it.”

At noon, there were no student protesters at Westsyde secondary, but a dozen teachers were picketing on the Westsyde Road sidewalk carrying “Locked out” placards.

A teacher said they’ve been setting up regular pickets during lunch hours and recesses even on days they aren’t striking.