Politics, Education: the [Alberta] teachers’ situation, part 1

Self-tutoring about the demands on the education system: the tutor mentions an article he read.

I confess not to know much about the teachers’ strike in Alberta, but I would claim to understand well enough the logistics of running a classroom. Teaching, nowadays, can be a very tough job, perhaps particularly so in Alberta. David Rink explains why in this article in the National Post. Said article seems listed as an opinion one, but reads like facts to me.

As I read it, a key point Rink makes is that more and more students need support beyond what a classroom teacher, working alone, can offer. (I would very much agree with him.) Such extra support would theoretically be provided by an EA (educational assistant). Yet, too often it seems, Rink has faced classrooms with over 25 students, including ones who would need an EA to support them, yet with no EA provided. (Class size is perhaps an issue for another post.)

As Rink observes, the number of students who need extra help is growing. The education system, it seems, is at the front line, receiving students who arrive to school with widely different levels of preparation. Some children come from environments that foster education. Yet, unfortunately, some others arrive to school with very little support from home. The expectation seems to be that it’s the school’s job to make up the difference.

Is it fair to expect the school system to be a one-stop shop that remedies psychological difficulties, provides ESL adaptation, and, on top of that, delivers education? If so, it seems we will need an army of teachers, school counsellors, and most of all, EAs.

To be fair: there has been EA support as needed in the classrooms I’ve been in, but my classroom experience is in BC, not Alberta. Yet, with the growing demand for support as David Rink describes, it seems possible every province in Canada will face constant demand for more teachers, and especially more EAs, even if present needs are met.

David Rink’s message is succinct and compelling. One might suggest he should be on the teachers’ negotiation team, if he’s not already.