Province and BCTF reach $50M funding deal

Schools around the province are poised to see a significant increase in the number of teachers and support for students after an agreement was reached between the B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) and the province.

Education Minister Mike Bernier announced Thursday that the province would be providing school districts with $50 million to immediately begin hiring teachers and improve student supports.

The funding is a result of last year’s Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruling in the long-standing dispute between the BCTF and provincial government. The BCTF had asked the high court to reconsider the B.C. Court of Appeal’s decision that found the province did not violate teachers’ constitutional rights when it introduced Bill 22 in 2002. The bill temporarily limited teacher bargaining on class size and composition.

In a rare move in November 2016, the SCC ruled from the bench 7-2 in favour of the BCTF about their collective bargaining rights. The decision meant the government had to restore staffing levels to pre-2002 levels.

READ MORE: B.C. Court of Appeal rules in favour of government over BCTF

At the time of the SCC’s decision, BCTF President Glen Hansman said, “this is going to make such a huge difference for the working conditions for our members and classroom conditions in B.C.’s schools.” 

The $50M in funding is for the 2016-2017 school year and is equivalent to hiring about 1,100 teachers. The ministry said the actual number of teachers hired will be determined by districts and local unions.

“We have to find a way that is both practical and appropriate for the education system we have today,” Bernier said in a press release.

“This new funding will help to kick-start the changes we all know are required following the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision. While the positive negotiations continue, we’re going to keep focused on solutions that work for kids in their classrooms.”

The funding will go towards:

• Hiring additional classroom teachers this school year where it is feasible to do so;
• Hiring specialty teachers which include special education teachers, speech language anthologists, behaviour intervention specialists, school psychologists, Aboriginal support teachers, counsellors including for mental health, ELL teachers, and teacher librarians.
• Where it is not feasible to add additional teachers during the current school year, the funding may be used to fund district-level capacity building opportunities such as upgrading existing teacher qualifications during the 2016-17 year, teacher recruitment programs and teacher mentoring programs.

This is the first step the province will be taking following the SCC’s decision and negotiations will be continuing on restoring the BCTF’s collective agreement.

It is estimated the final decision could cost the government an extra $250M to $300M.

~ with files from Amy Judd