Most teachers around the province head back to classrooms next week with new rules in place that will put limits on class sizes and the number of special needs students in each of those classrooms.
But Rob Millard, president of the West Vancouver Teachers’ Association, said teachers in his district are concerned after learning that the local contract language being restored there from 2002 never contained many of the class size and composition limits in place in many other school districts.
“It was an eye-opener for our teachers,” he said. “If (the school district) wants to put five kids with a ministry (special needs) designation into a class, they can. We have no agreement on composition.”
Millard said the West Vancouver Teachers’ Association and the school district are continuing to meet to discuss the issue.
In West Vancouver in the 2015/2016 school year, there were 121 classes with four or more special needs students, according to ministry data, including 18 classes with seven or more. There were 185 classes with four or more English language learners, including 83 classes with seven or more.
While the newly restored contracts in many school districts set limits for the number of students in elementary, secondary, learning assistance and ELL classes, the West Vancouver teachers’ contract only set limits for numbers of students at the primary grade level.
The contract is also silent on how many special needs students can be integrated into a regular classroom at one time.
Many other contracts limit the number to three students, and stipulate only one of those may be a student with severe behavioural problems.
Millard said he’s aware of other school districts in B.C. facing a similar situation. But West Vancouver is unique among Metro Vancouver school districts.
“We always compare ourselves to our Metro neighbours,” he said.
The North Vancouver teachers’ contract, for instance, has limits on class sizes for intermediate and secondary classrooms, and numbers of special needs students, he noted.
Chris Kennedy, superintendent of schools in West Vancouver, said the school district has a goal of limiting all classes to 30 students. Special needs students are being supported with extra resources like educational assistants, he said. “I think students are well supported.”
