“Total elation.”
That is how the President of the Quesnel District Teachers’ Association, reacts to Friday’s Supreme Court of Canada decision to uphold their right to have class sizes and composition in their collective bargaining agreement.
Lisa Kishkan says they were expecting to wait months to hear the verdict…
“So to hear it announced from the bench on the same day that we presented our case was just remarkable and to be able to share that with members the same day was really so thrilling and so rewarding.”
Kishkan says it was a long time coming as they have put years and years of energy and emotion into this legal battle.
She says teachers now expect class sizes and composition to go back to 2002 levels which was when then Education Minister Christy Clark removed in from their contract.
Kishkan acknowledges that it will mean hiring more teachers but she says the Provincial Government has a 1.9 billion dollar surplus right now to be able to pay for it.