Editor: In the case of the B.C. Teachers Federation objecting to the elected provincial government invoking legislation, I would submit that if education is going to be a function of the provincial government, then the elected government should have the right to “call the shots.”
If the citizens decide they want the BCTF to “call the shots” regarding education, then the leadership of the BCTF should be elected by the people of the province, not just by teachers.
Given the huge proportion of the provincial budget devoted to education, it could be a good idea to separate it from the general provincial government, and at the same time as a provincial election have an “educational government” election. This might even work with the health care bureaucracy.
That way, it would put these important governmental functions closer to the voter — that is, to the wishes of the majority of the people.
Paul M. Bowman,
Aldergrove