DEAR EDITOR:
Re: Teachers ready for job action, Burnaby NOW, Sept. 2.
Richard Storch, president of the Burnaby Teachers' Association, just doesn't get it! In his statements on Sept. 2 in your paper he states: "Teachers will not participate in fundraising," and "Public education should be properly funded. Parents shouldn't have to raise funds either."
Let's go for yet another handout from government. Here is a concept that the Burnaby Teachers' Association may want to consider - the fundraising activities show the students a real life lesson: "If you work hard and make an effort at a task you reap the benefit." In this case, fundraising goes to help fund field trips, school sport equipment, playgrounds, classroom resources, new tech equipment, help for less fortunate students so they can participate in trips, etc.
Teachers are only asked to simply hand out the fundraising package to the students. It takes five minutes at the end of the day. And maybe give some positive encouragement to the students to do a good job with the fundraiser. Parents collect the orders and the money and handle all the administration of the fundraising program.
Guess who benefits from fundraising? The students and teachers, Mr. Storch!
So, Mr. Storch, I want you to tell the students of Burnaby that there will be no field trips, sport equipment, playground upgrades, class resources etc. due
to your members' inability to simply hand out a fundraising package. You would rather have the students learn to lean on the government for everything rather than teaching them to fend for themselves in life and that hard work reaps benefits and rewards.
The mantra of the B.C. Teachers' Federation has been that there will be no impact on students. That doesn't appear to be the case to me.
Curtis Evans, Burnaby
