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Howe Sound students make their point during day of protest

Dozens of Howe Sound students took part in a province-wide student walk out Jan. 23 to protest the on-going job action by teachers.

Dozens of Howe Sound students took part in a province-wide student walk out Jan. 23 to protest the on-going job action by teachers.

About 20 students walked out of Whistler Secondary on Wednesday morning but many returned to class later, some brought back by their parents.

"If you were to walk into the school as a stranger," said principal Ken Davies, "you wouldn’t know anything was going on."

Earlier in the week Davies had addressed every class about the proposed walk-out.

"We are not dispelling that they have a concern, but the timing in the quarter with regard to things coming to a close and final exams around the corner might have placed them in a precarious position with regard to their studies," said Davies.

"They would be missing that valuable class time... information they would be receiving in class that they would be using on their final exams."

Most of those who took part in the walk-out were in Grades 8, 9, and 10.

It will be up to the students’ subject teachers to decide what if any disciplinary action the students will face.

About a dozen Grade 6 students left Myrtle Philip at recess as part of the walk out.

Ten were returned to school by their parents, said principal Bob Daly.

"Our main concern was for their safety," he said adding that there will be no disciplinary action taken against the students except to remind them of the school’s concern for their well-being.

In Squamish 20 to 30 Grade 9 and 10 students from Howe Sound Secondary and Squamish Elementary marched to the district school board offices Wednesday morning during the walk-out.

They presented a petition with dozens of signatures from fellow classmates supporting teachers.

Director of Instruction for the school board Alex Marshall said these students and a delegation which came later from Don Ross Secondary were invited in to the board’s offices and given an opportunity to voice their concerns.

"They were sincere and articulate," said Marshall, adding that the petitions from the secondary schools will be passed on to the board chairwoman Amy Shoup.

Squamish Elementary Grade 6 student Kale Green marched because he is concerned about losing after school activities and field trips. He is also worried about larger class sizes and how special needs students are going to cope with fewer teachers.

"All we were doing is straight school work and nothing fun," said 11-year-old Green.

"We couldn’t even plan any trips. I think we should get out of school and see stuff with our own eyes instead of just learning about it all the time.

"And I wanted to stand up for the special need students because they have no way to stand up for themselves.

"I wanted to make sure that they actually have some teachers for them and maybe they can learn to speak up for themselves later on in life.

"Maybe (students protesting) will actually do something to help the teachers and maybe the teachers can get what they want so the students can too."

Earlier this week the B.C. Teachers Federation put forward a new proposal to settle the dispute. It was rejected the same day by the employer, the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association.

The B.C. Legislature is being recalled this (Friday) afternoon to deal with the teacher’s dispute. MLAs will return to the house at 1 p.m. today to introduce legislation imposing a contract.

B.C. teachers plan to file a complaint of unfair labour practices against the B.C. government and the BCPSEA.

"This does not mean business as usual in the schools," said Marjorie Reimer, president of the Howe Sound Teachers’ Association.

"Teachers will not be happy to have their carefully preserved rights in the collective agreement abrogated.

"It makes us wonder what the government is saying about children."

Reimer said it is unlikely teachers will strike illegally but she did not rule out "spontaneous" walk outs if legislation is brought down Friday.

And, she said, if legislated back it was unlikely teachers would take up extra curricular activities again.

"Teachers will probably not be resuming extra curricular activities.

"But not so much as a petulant form of protest, but rather because they simply are going to be too busy in their classrooms with special need kids, with high class sizes, and without the kind of financial backing they have been seeking they are just going to burn out."

The new BCTF proposal made public on Tuesday called for a six per cent salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2000 and three per-cent increases in January and July in each of the next two years.

The employer was offering 7.5 per cent over three years.

BCTF said their proposal would cost $324 million in salary cost and $47 million in non-wage related costs over the three year contract.

The employer believes the cost is closer to $1 billion.

Talks have also been stalled over the modification of class size limits, the use of non-enrolling teachers and teachers for children with special needs.

Meanwhile the Howe Sound School Board has delayed its decision on the boundaries for the new Spring Creek Elementary School until its March 13 th meeting. The March meeting will be held at Whistler Secondary.