Week of Feb. 4 – 11, 2002
Teachers in dispute and the future of learning…What affect will the teacher’s dispute, their limits on extracurricular activities and their response to an imposed settlement have on kids in the classroom? Probably none in the short term, says retired SFU education professor Milt McClaren. "Most teachers are very dedicated and they will continue to deliver the core program and do their jobs, no matter how strained the relations are between the BCTF and the government," says McClaren, who has studied B.C.’s education system for three decades. "Unfortunately, in the long term the tunnel vision on all sides of the dispute makes it difficult to make really significant (and in my view, necessary) changes to the ways schools work, and how we deal with issues like class size, inclusion of special needs students, and others. In the long term, kids won’t get the kinds of schools they should have or could have to really prepare them for life in the 21st century." In addition to keeping contact with education colleagues in B.C., McClaren is currently supervising a cohort of graduate students who are all B.C. teachers and administrators.
Prof. McClaren is in Arizona, reachable via email at milt_mcclaren@sfu.ca
Beefing up the borders…New Canada-U.S. border security measures are on the way. They’ll be announced at the G-8 meeting in Alberta in June. SFU political scientist Alexander Moens says it’s critical that Canada deal with the issue of security. "We can’t expect to conclude a smart border and maximum trade relationship if we do not fully participate in continental and homeland defence," says Moens. "It’s in Canada's interest to be pro-active in both areas, to accept the linkage in our own national interest and to present that linkage as being value added to the US Congress and Bush administration." Colleague Douglas Ross says while Manley and the cabinet are very much interested in 'trade flow protection' ahead of 'stopping terrorism', they are interested in both. "The issue is: how do they see the risk facing both countries? The Canadians are more optimistic on this one — incorrectly I believe. Current and future threats will not be limited to Al Qaeda." More money is needed from both governments to provide adequate inspection staff and surveillance/detection equipment at container ports as well as for air freight and passenger aircraft. "The Americans are ready to pay what is needed," he says. " The Chretien team, to date, seems not so disposed."
Alexander Moens, 604-291-4361; alexander_moens@sfu.ca
Douglas Ross, 604-291-4782l; douglas_ross@sfu.ca
New government, old ideas…SFU labour historian Mark Leier says the B.C. Liberals’ current focus on public workers is really about appeasing private sector employers. "It is a massive redistribution of wealth: a sort of nightmare Robin Hood stealing from the poor and giving to the rich," says Leier, who can look at the general impact of the cuts on labour and compare it with that of the Socred program in 1983. "This is a very old pattern in B.C., for business has always depended on government to keep wages down, smash unions and give public resources to private owners." Leier adds: "this is no new era; it is simply a return to the worst practices of the last century."
Mark Leier, 604-291-5827; leier@sfu.ca
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