The Burnaby Teachers’ Association is raising the issue of class composition in the midst of legal wranglings between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government.
The association conducted a survey of hundreds of Burnaby teachers and found some “surprising” results on the numbers of special needs students in classrooms, according to president James Sanyshyn.
According to the results, 75 per cent of surveyed teachers felt their students weren’t receiving appropriate individual attention according to their needs, and 81 per cent identified a wider range of needs than in past years. Sixty-six per cent have more special needs students in their classes than in past years.
“We’ve got more and more students with (special) needs. There are students that are more aggressive than in the past,” Sanyshyn told the NOW. “And the supports aren’t in place to keep up with the needs.”
Meanwhile, the Liberals are appealing a B.C. Supreme Court decision that found the provincial government’s legislation limiting teachers' bargaining rights and removing limits on class sizes and the numbers of special needs students was unconstitutional. The court decision called for 2002 contract language on class sizes and composition limits to be restored, but the province has asked for a stay application, which would keep things status quo until the appeal is heard. A hearing for the stay application is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday).
The Burnaby Teachers’ Association is opposed to the application for a stay and the appeal.
“By implementing the restored language in Burnaby, dozens more teacher librarians, ESL teachers, counsellors, and special needs educators would be working with the students of Burnaby each and every day,” Sanyshyn said. “Classes would be smaller and teachers would have the time to meet the needs of all learners. Special needs students are being shortchanged by this government. The budget is balanced in Victoria on their backs.”
Last November, Burnaby’s school board reported that there were 495 classes with four or more students designated as having special needs. The old limits were, in general, two special needs kids per class.
