BC’s largest school district has cut hundreds of jobs, putting education, security and health at risk, while the province sits on the sidelines.
“You can’t lay off 57 custodial staff out of just over 300 and think there will not be a serious impact on cleanliness in schools,” says Susan Zander, president of CUPE 728 representing support staff in the Surrey school district.
“When you cut school secretaries, you cut contact for students and their parents with the school, and when you cut special needs assistants you know full well it is the most vulnerable in our society who are paying for a quick fix.”
For Zander, the issues of cuts have to be laid squarely at the door of the provincial government, “whom everyone knows is sitting on surplus education funds while our school board is forced to resort to cuts of this magnitude.”
“You can’t lay off 57 custodial staff out of just over 300 and think there will not be a serious impact on cleanliness in schools,” says Susan Zander, president of CUPE 728 representing support staff in the Surrey school district.
“When you cut school secretaries, you cut contact for students and their parents with the school, and when you cut special needs assistants you know full well it is the most vulnerable in our society who are paying for a quick fix.”
For Zander, the issues of cuts have to be laid squarely at the door of the provincial government, “whom everyone knows is sitting on surplus education funds while our school board is forced to resort to cuts of this magnitude.”