Dear Editor: My high school is closed, and I'm waving at my teachers through a car window every morning when I am supposed to be in school. This is the reality for thousands of students throughout the province as we wait out the labour dispute.I would like to express my personal disappointment with the B.C. government, as there seems to be no urgency to get students back in school. As a child, we have a right to education - an education we have not been receiving.Our government has the responsibility to make sure our rights are protected and our education is preserved, and this is not being done. Anxiety among students is rising as we begin to worry how the dispute will affect our education.From a student's point of view, class size and composition make a huge difference in our education. I have been in small classes of around 15 students and classes of 30. In larger classes it was way harder to focus, tests took longer to be marked, and there was less personal time with the teacher. All these things directly impacted my performance.This is contrary to the smaller classes I have been in where there was more time for classroom discussion, more personal attention from the teacher, the room was quieter, tests were handed back faster, and overall it was a much better learning environment.These are things the government should be aware of. Their decisions impact so many students and we deserve the best education possible.Investing in teachers is like investing directly into the future of our province. It may not be tangible, but the future premier is somewhere in the school system; as well as many other students that will one day play important roles in society.Teachers are the ones inspiring, educating, and supporting us. They don't do it because it is glamorous, they do it because they have a passion for it. I see it every day in my teachers and I'd like to see my government respect them as much as I do and really consider if their pay is fair.The bottom line is: I need to go back to school and so do my peers. We are done being caught in the middle. We are being cheated (out of) our education and our school community. That is not fair.Lauren BaumanWest Vancouver
