Dear Editor:
The people of Burnaby, British Columbia and Canada have always enjoyed the right to an education.
It is unfortunate that we forget that every man, woman and child who has gone through this "free education" system forgets that when it is time to vote.
The education system is not free, however, it costs a lot to operate schools in this province, a fact that the provincial government is quick to point out. Do those same politicians forget that they enjoyed that right as well and are where they are today because of it.
Not everyone can afford to go to hockey games, football games, casinos and yet we continue to funnel precious resources to supporting those large scale projects at the cost of our education system. It would seem that we should remember the teachers that gave up so much of themselves to help us achieve what we have become.
Should they make less than a sports personality, politician, rock star, doctor, lawyer all of whom have gone through that same public school system?
Do you not think that teachers would know most about what the education system needs when they are the very ones who see it first hand every day?
I would not expect a contractor to ask a waitress how to build a stadium.
Perhaps we should let the people who work in the system decide what needs fixing. As a parent, as a resident of Burnaby, as a former student, as an employee and as a Canadian , can we please support our education system and our educators?
Marry Wong, Burnaby