Norm Gould, President of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, Speaks at the Rally for Public Education

Manitoba Legislature, Friday, May 25, 2018

Text and Photos by John Sushelnitsky, Political Advocacy Chair

Thank you all for being here today.

I think I speak for all teachers when I say that teaching, while always rewarding, is not always easy.

These days, it’s becoming even more difficult. By being here, you are showing your commitment to the kids in this province – something the government has failed to do. The government says it has increased funding to public education, but as teachers we know the truth.

Public education in this province is under attack – not by a foreign source, but by our own provincial government. The last education funding announcement left an enormous shortfall in the funding needed to adequately fund education. More than half of our school divisions are now receiving less funding than last year. And last year was no better! In fact, this is the second year in a row that education funding has failed to keep pace with the rate of inflation.

Since this government has been in power, I’ve had to give my head more than a few shakes. To

be blunt- their policies lack common sense. On the one hand, we have the government’s continued underfunding of education. And on the other, we have enrollment numbers which continue to grow. Over the past three years, Manitoba has experienced the fastest population growth in Canada. But classrooms aren’t just growing in size, they are growing in complexity. One in 10 students require English as an Additional Language support.

Support for students with special needs continues to be woefully inadequate. More kids. More unique needs. Less money. You don’t have to be a Math teacher to see that this equation doesn’t add up. The government also removed the class size cap for K-3. They did this before the initiative even had a chance to get off the ground. Yet, when they were in Opposition, they were touting the benefits of smaller class sizes.

What we have here is a perfect example of a government that is so blinded by pettiness that they will denounce a good idea on the basis that it wasn’t their idea. At the end of the day, the removal of the class size cap means less one on one time with kids who need it most. And let’s not forget what is happening in Frenchlanguage education. This is the fastest growing education segment in Manitoba. Yet key positions were eliminated in the government department responsible for the development of the French language curriculum. This government campaigned on no cuts to frontline services. Tell that to the Lord Selkirk Division. They have lost 17 teaching positions in two years. Swan Valley is down five positions since this government came into power. These are just a few examples.

Across this province, teachers are spending their own money on classroom resources, because if they didn’t their students would have to go without. Teachers are volunteering countless hours to run sports and arts programs for students because if they didn’t – these programs would cease to exist. There is no doubt that Manitoba teachers are going the extra mile for their students. And it’s working.

Recent results from the Council of Ministers of Education indicates Manitoba students’ test scores are improving. This is proof that Manitoba teachers are doing all they can to support our students in spite of a lack of government support. If these gains in literacy and numeracy

Norm Gould, MTS President