Scott Thompson: What is the college strike about? Ratios?

You have to feel for the thousands of students whose education has been put on hold due to a labour dispute between Ontario colleges and the union that represents their instructors.

The main stumbling block is the ratio of part-time or occasional contract teachers vs. full-time status.

The current ratio is 30 per cent full time to 70 per cent part-time, it was the opposite when the college system started 40 years ago, say supporters.

Apparently, too many teachers have precarious work at a variety of schools and can’t commit the time needed to students.

I thought the strength of the system was it was filled with experts who are still practicing in their fields of choice, not becoming full-time teachers.

At $250 million a year extra to facilitate this, you have to ask: is this about bettering education, or creating more bureaucracy?

WATCH BELOW: 

2:58 Faculty at 24 Ontario public colleges on strike

With the average Canadian feeling like they’re falling behind, can you blame them?

Whenever students are used as pawns in the game of teacher/union negotiations we always hear, it’s about the students.

Yet in the end, it seems to be their priorities that matter the least.

What lessons will they learn this time?