The BCNDP is not happy with the provincial government’s delay of the new curriculum for students in Grades 10-12, which has been granted an extra year of testing by Education Minister Mike Bernier.
The official opposition are calling the announcement “typical” and education critic Rob Fleming says this is not what parents are wanting to hear.
“They want to hear that this government understands that their 14-year confrontation with teachers and cuts to classrooms are at an end and that there’s a plan to restore funding immediately.”
Fleming’s concern is towards parents with students in Kindergarten to Grade Nine.
He also believes Bernier is continuously muddying the waters on why this set-back is occurring, given the BC Teachers Federation’s (BCTF) recent win in the country’s highest court.
“They’ve just been given the most stunning rebuke in modern Supreme Court [of Canada] history and he’s got nothing to say for that. This is a man who leads the second largest ministry in provincial government.”
Fleming ultimately thinks this is an attempt by the Education Minister, and BC Liberals, to save themselves.
“Having seen a very rocky road for the K-9 implementation, and heading into an election year, I think this is really what the government is saving embarrassment because the 10-12 implementation would have similar, if not, worse problems than the K-9.”
He himself is not surprised with the government’s decision and says if the NDP are elected in the spring, “significant” changes will come to BC’s education.
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