A North Burnaby neighbourhood rallied around its community school Friday, showing support for teachers and education during the ongoing teachers’ strike.
Parents at Gilmore Community Elementary School organized a “sit-out” in front of their school, which has been shuttered for the first two weeks of school because of the ongoing labour dispute between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government.
“Our main issue is education, period – non partisan. We are about supporting education. We are a community school; it’s about the community pulling together,” said Lisa Servedio, a Gilmore parent and one of the event’s organizers.
“It’s really a symbolic thing about us getting out there, supporting teachers, but mainly supporting education. Kids should be in school, period. It shouldn’t be about politics; it should be about school.”
Parents, grandparents, kids, community members and teachers mingled in front of the school, waving to cars and eating snacks.
Most neighbours who spoke to the NOW threw their support behind the teachers.
“I’m just a strong advocate of what they’re fighting for,” said Tara Nelson, a parent with kids in grades 1 and 4. “Class composition and teacher resources is a huge, huge issue in all the public schools, so I think the public needs to be focused on those issues.”
Terry Trotic, whose son is in Grade 2, agreed.
“I’ve seen it in my son’s class where there’s kids that have learning disabilities, and it just takes away from all the other kids and the time that they need with the teacher,” he said. “They don’t have the resources in the classroom to help those special kids.”
Grandparent Giorgio Zambrano said teachers have done the right thing holding their ground during the strike.
“The kids are our future, and I strongly believe that this government here is using the kids to move their own agenda,” he said. “And the teachers should stand up and be counted; that’s the right way to do it. There is a time where you have to stand up and be counted. They’ve been neglecting the teachers for the last 12 years.”
But some parents at the demonstration held both the government and teachers responsible for getting kids back to school.
“Our society believes in free, appropriate education for all kids. Who needs to provide it? The government and the teachers, so they need to get to it and do it,” said parent Janine Toole.
Parent Erin Nicholas agreed.
“I came out here because I support the children, and I think it’s terrible that it’s taken the government and the BCTF this long to get people to the table,” she said.
“As a parent, I feel helpless, like I don’t have a voice in this, so this is a way to come out and do something.”
