The Burnaby Teachers' Association and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 379, will be hosting a town hall meeting on Feb. 28 to discuss education funding.
Speakers include school board chair Baljinder Narang, school trustee Gary Wong, B.C. Teachers' Federation president Susan Lambert and John Malcolmson, a research representative with CUPE.
According to the teachers' association, the meeting will give the public the opportunity to separate fact from fiction and ask difficult questions from those in the know.
"BCTF president Susan Lambert will be in Burnaby to answer questions based on her intimate knowledge of public education funding issues, as well as issues of class size and composition," said teachers' association president James Sanyshyn in a press release.
School boards across B.C. have been asked to find savings in their budgets so the provincial government can use that money and have more flexibility while negotiating pay increases with school support staff.
However, CUPE and the teachers' association say the provincial government isn't providing enough funding, and extra costs are downloaded onto school districts, which then have to cut programs and services to offset budget shortfalls.
The town hall meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 7 to 8: 30 p.m. at the Schou Education Centre at 4041 Canada Way. Coffee and snacks will be provided.
