Unclear on the Concept – BCTF Executive Obtuseness
As I watched the head of the Surrey local of the BCTF (am I the only one who grates at this union terminology used to describe the decision making units of those charged with the care and intellectual stimulation of our kids) proclaim he could not recommend acceptance of the Vince Ready brokered settlement because it did not contain any substantive benefits for teachers, I was reminded of an experience I had as the parent of small children.
My wife and I were at church one Sunday morning with our two boys, then aged 5 and 2 ½. It was a few minutes before the service was to start and the boys were full of energy and questions. The eldest, spying a woman in the pew ahead of us who was rather overweight, asked in his loudest most earnest voice – “Daddy is that lady fat?” We huddled and I explained sotto voce that it was rude to make comments about a person’s appearance. We continued the discussion on our walk back home after church and I was satisfied a life lesson had been learned.
That afternoon I took the boys to the club for a swim. We were in the men’s changing room seated on a bench between rows of lockers as we undressed and got into our bathing suits. An older man (probably my age now) walked past naked, on his way to the shower. As the man passed, my oldest son in his same booming voice turned to me and said, “Dad, look at all those spots on that man’s back! I grabbed his arm in a vice like grip and said, “What did we just talk about this morning?” He looked at me in bemusement and said, “Is he fat too?”
There is a precious innocence possessed by children as they learn about life. They are unaware of nuance and focus with a burning clarity on individual facts without reference to context. As someone once said, the attributes we find endearing in children are often disagreeable when found in adults.
Is the fact teachers spend so much time in the presence of children part of the explanation for the child-like behaviour displayed by BCTF leadership throughout this dispute, and which is often repeated by individual members during their picket duties and rallies? A friend told me her 4 year old son was watching with her a news report of the rally in front of the legislative buildings and he asked if it was a movie from the summer camp he had attended.
What is it that leads a mature and educated man to conclude, that after 14 days of illegal picketing, a $500,000 fine imposed on the body in which he exercises leadership and fiduciary responsibilities and the promise of greater penalties if the strike continues, a compromise solution brokered by the most respected mediator in British Columbia does not offer any substantive benefits? Perhaps he meant substantial and doesn’t know the difference. Whatever the cause it was a shocking display of obtuseness.
Another news item today showed picketing teachers in Victoria. A female teacher was asked what she thought of the proposed settlement. She said something to the effect that “I’m disappointed because umm I was hoping for something umm, something excellent!” Well isn’t that a good reason to engage in illegal picketing, it is all a search for excellence. No doubt her definition of excellence may be unlike that of most right thinking British Columbians.
Based on the samplings of interviewed teachers, and even allowing for the fact one is not always as articulate as one would like to be when confronted by a camera and a microphone, there is a shocking combination of vacuity and inarticulateness displayed by the sampled group. Surely all the thoughtful and articulate teachers are so appalled at the illegal actions of the union, they wouldn’t be caught within miles of a picket line - hope springs eternal. The only articulate teacher I saw interviewed on television the past two weeks was the Victoria teacher who crossed the picket line early in the first week because he believed teachers must be held to a higher standard because of the importance of their profession, and he wanted to be in class where his students needed him.
As I write the BCTF executive has yet to announce whether it will recommend the settlement to its teacher members, and reportedly at least 4 local leaders including the referenced Surrey teacher will recommend rejection.
One can only hope there are enough rank and file teachers who are clear on the concept of what it means to honour the rule of law and who are eager to show the moral and intellectual leadership which has been so noticeably absent on the part of their leaders by voting to accept this settlement.
My wife and I were at church one Sunday morning with our two boys, then aged 5 and 2 ½. It was a few minutes before the service was to start and the boys were full of energy and questions. The eldest, spying a woman in the pew ahead of us who was rather overweight, asked in his loudest most earnest voice – “Daddy is that lady fat?” We huddled and I explained sotto voce that it was rude to make comments about a person’s appearance. We continued the discussion on our walk back home after church and I was satisfied a life lesson had been learned.
That afternoon I took the boys to the club for a swim. We were in the men’s changing room seated on a bench between rows of lockers as we undressed and got into our bathing suits. An older man (probably my age now) walked past naked, on his way to the shower. As the man passed, my oldest son in his same booming voice turned to me and said, “Dad, look at all those spots on that man’s back! I grabbed his arm in a vice like grip and said, “What did we just talk about this morning?” He looked at me in bemusement and said, “Is he fat too?”
There is a precious innocence possessed by children as they learn about life. They are unaware of nuance and focus with a burning clarity on individual facts without reference to context. As someone once said, the attributes we find endearing in children are often disagreeable when found in adults.
Is the fact teachers spend so much time in the presence of children part of the explanation for the child-like behaviour displayed by BCTF leadership throughout this dispute, and which is often repeated by individual members during their picket duties and rallies? A friend told me her 4 year old son was watching with her a news report of the rally in front of the legislative buildings and he asked if it was a movie from the summer camp he had attended.
What is it that leads a mature and educated man to conclude, that after 14 days of illegal picketing, a $500,000 fine imposed on the body in which he exercises leadership and fiduciary responsibilities and the promise of greater penalties if the strike continues, a compromise solution brokered by the most respected mediator in British Columbia does not offer any substantive benefits? Perhaps he meant substantial and doesn’t know the difference. Whatever the cause it was a shocking display of obtuseness.
Another news item today showed picketing teachers in Victoria. A female teacher was asked what she thought of the proposed settlement. She said something to the effect that “I’m disappointed because umm I was hoping for something umm, something excellent!” Well isn’t that a good reason to engage in illegal picketing, it is all a search for excellence. No doubt her definition of excellence may be unlike that of most right thinking British Columbians.
Based on the samplings of interviewed teachers, and even allowing for the fact one is not always as articulate as one would like to be when confronted by a camera and a microphone, there is a shocking combination of vacuity and inarticulateness displayed by the sampled group. Surely all the thoughtful and articulate teachers are so appalled at the illegal actions of the union, they wouldn’t be caught within miles of a picket line - hope springs eternal. The only articulate teacher I saw interviewed on television the past two weeks was the Victoria teacher who crossed the picket line early in the first week because he believed teachers must be held to a higher standard because of the importance of their profession, and he wanted to be in class where his students needed him.
As I write the BCTF executive has yet to announce whether it will recommend the settlement to its teacher members, and reportedly at least 4 local leaders including the referenced Surrey teacher will recommend rejection.
One can only hope there are enough rank and file teachers who are clear on the concept of what it means to honour the rule of law and who are eager to show the moral and intellectual leadership which has been so noticeably absent on the part of their leaders by voting to accept this settlement.
posted by Ben Buan | 9:19 p.m.
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