Daniel’s Rant: Bill 22 passed
Something really controversial hit me yesterday: the news that Bill 22 had been passed in the legislature. I have talked in my previous rants about what this bill is. For those who still don’t know, it’s basically the government’s way of saying “Shut the f*ck up!” to the teachers. The bill will force teachers to end the strike and go back to work, also making any further strike action illegal. That may seem like a good thing, as students are getting their report cards and other things back. However, the problems that the teachers face and the problems we have in our public education system will still be there. Classes will still be over sized, there will still be a lack of special needs support, and teaching conditions and wages are still going to be horrible. But the truth is, even if you are against this bill or in support of it, everyone knew this bill was going to pass anyway. The government is tired of this strike, and they obviously want it to end. However, my guess is, if the government is saying they would improve education as part of the BC Education Plan, Bill 22 has got to be the biggest joke of my life. We’ve all heard that we’re lucky to live in a free country. A part of this is that we get a freedom of speech. By stripping teachers’ rights to strike, they are also not free to speak out against their working conditions and students’ learning conditions. However, the good news is that this bill is not constitutional. Teachers can still take this bill to court and complain, and that’s what they are going to do. I will totally be on the teachers’ side during the argument in court, and if possible, us students will possibly stage another walkout like what happened a few weeks ago. If teachers don’t have a voice, students will be their voice. If Christy Clark and George Abbott think that we’re just a bunch of kids that want to stir up trouble, don’t underestimate our power. We stormed your office, we spammed your number with hate, and we also strengthened our Student Union in the thousands. If you think that’s not powerful, we have one last thing to say to you: nice democracy, Clark.
