Teachers' union wants education focus in B.C.'s 2024 election

We haven't heard the candidates talk much about education during B.C.'s 2024 election campaign, but the teachers' union is trying to put the spotlight on that issue.

From an ongoing shortage of educators to the thousands of children learning in portable classrooms, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the NDP government on the education file since taking power in 2017.

“Have they done enough? No, not as much as we would like,” BC Teachers’ Federation President Clint Johnston told CTV News in an interview at the union’s headquarters on Friday.

“But you know, their steps forward have been positive. And, more importantly, I think it’s that there hasn’t been any really impactful and harmful things done on students.”

By impactful and harmful, the BCTF is referencing the BC Conservatives' plan to remove sexual orientation and gender identity – or SOGI – resources from the school system if the party forms government.

“We’re going to make sure we get all of that ideology and all this sort of stuff out of our education system,” said BC Conservative Leader John Rustad said during a town hall in Prince George last week, to applause.

“That includes getting rid of SOGI.”

Rustad has been consistent in his stance on pushing back against SOGI – challenging the NDP for allowing its use in the school system with his first question in the legislature as Conservative party leader almost exactly a year ago.

Johnston and other educators insist the resource has made the school system safer for students, particularly those in the 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

“So the idea of dismantling pieces like that – the SOGI piece – that have really made every student feel comfortable in the school and feel safe and supported, that could be really damaging toward a great system right now,” Johnston said Friday.

The Greens have pledged to support SOGI moving forward, and have also released detailed plans on other education initiatives.

That includes a plan to spend $110-million a year to provide laptops to all students in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system.

As for the BC NDP, its major campaign pledges on the education file are to ensure that every school in the province has a counsellor, and that there is an education assistant in all kindergarten to Grade 3 classrooms. 

• Full coverage: B.C. election 2024