Wasn't I a straight-looking dude then!

Back when classes were really big

By GERRY WARNER
Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Feb. 9, 2007
The BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) is beating the drum again about class size and class composition, saying more money needs to be put into the system to create what it calls proper "learning conditions."
As a former teacher myself, I appreciate teachers' concern over the relationship between the number of smiling faces looking up at you and your ability to stick to your lesson plan on any given day. The more Davids and Janes in the class -- perhaps I should say Emmas and Ethans -- the more potential obstacles and distractions the teacher has to overcome to teach that perfect lesson. Classroom challenges and demands have also vastly changed since I was beaming down on my charges those many years ago in Rossland. Back then, if you'd said things like substance abuse, cell phones and kiddie porn no one would have known what you were talking about. Those were kinder and gentler days though they were not without challenges of their own.
I remember receiving a call one evening from a distraught Grade 6 student who had taken the class hamster home for the weekend and the poor creature had a confrontation with the child's pet cat with predictable results. Iwent over to the house to dispose of the remains and console the student and I remember being shocked at the dilapidated condition of the house. Like today, poverty also existed back in the 70's. So did kids from broken homes, kids with learning disabilities, bright kids, problem kids, kids that you knew were destined for greater things and kids that you knew weren't going anywhere. That's teaching, simutaneously the most inspiring and frustrating job you could ever hope to have. And in that respect, it really hasn't changed that much over the years except for one thing.
There's a lot fewer kids to teach these days.
My Grade 12 son just began his final semester of high school in Kimberley last week. He came home quite excited the other day with his new timetable, which includes Biology 12. And why was he so excited? That's easy. His Biology 12 class, a heavy course, had at the time the timetable was made up all of four students in it. You read that correctly, four! Now, it's possible a few more students will enrol this week, but even if it was to double in size -- an unlikely prospect -- it would have all of eight students in it, not exactly bursting at the seams.
Two weeks ago, I attended a press conference where BCTF officials from Vancouver made a pitch for more funding to deal with so-called "class size and class composition" issues they feel are not being met according to the guidelines of Bill 33. They cited a lot of numbers and talked about difficult learning conditions, teachers burning out and students' needs not being met. Funny, there was no mention of biology classes with four students in them.
I'm not trying to be facetious here. Teachers are quite correct in saying there is a definite relationship between class size and optimum teaching and learning conditions. But what teachers aren't talking about is the dramatic, some might say dangerous, decline in enrolment that has enveloped theprovince and turned the entire teaching world upside down. According to Education Ministry figures, province-wide enrolment has declined by 42,500 students since the 2000 - 2001 school year. That equals a city roughly the size of Vernon or Penticton. During the same period, education spending in the province has increased by close to $1 billion or $958 million to be exact made up of 551 million in operating grants and $407 million in special one-time grants.
Given these statistics, which I'm not aware of anyone contradicting, how could any reasonable person avoid concluding education is being funded very generously in B.C.? Indeed, funding is increasing at a rapid rate at a time enrolment is rapidly falling. Yet we hear teachers crying for more funding. Is there some kind of disconnect happening here? The situation is no different in Southeast Kootenay (Cranbrook) District 5 where enrolment has declined by more than 2,000 students since amalgamationin in 1997 with a similar drop occurring in Rocky Mountain (Kimberley) District 6. In fact, out of 60 school districts in the province, there are only four where enrolment is increasing.
Obviously education has entered a new era of downsizing in B.C. whether we like it or not. Just this week, two more proposed school closures were announced in District 5 and undoutably there will be more. Class sizes are declining all over the province. More than 95 per cent of all classes in B.C. have 30 or fewer students, according to the latest ministry figures. Compare this to the 36 Grade 6's I had in Rossland those many years ago or the class of four my son now attends.
Perhaps its time for the BCTF to get real.
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Bennett turfed from cabinet after insulting e-mail

By GERRY WARNER
Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Feb. 7, 2007
An unanswered e-mail more than two months old landed on the deck of the B.C. government Feb. 4 and the explosion that followed tore a gaping hole in the career of former Minister of State for Mining, Bill Bennett.
Bennett tendered his resignation Tuesday after an e-mail exchange was revealed in which he said he said he didn't "give a shit" about a prominent constituent who he accused of being "an American spy who is actually interested in helping the US create a park in the Flathead." (see copies of the e-mail exchange on P, 2 in the Daily Townsman).
The e-mail to Dr. Maarten Hart, a vetrenarian in Fernie and president of the Fernie Rod and Gun Club was forwarded by Hart to Premier Gordon Campbell, NDP Opposition Leader Carole James and the Flathead Coalition. Copies were also forwarded to the media and when Bennett realized what had happened over the weekend he tendered his resignation to Premier Gordon Campbell.
In his e-mail about the government's controversial wildlife harvest allocation plan, Hart accused Bennett of ignoring resident hunters in favour of guide outfitters and said his government "bows to the almighty dollar and faces east three times-a-day (not to Mecca, but to Wall Street)."
Interviewed from his Victoria office Tuesday, Bennett said he's always been a "passionate advocate" for his constituents, but his incindary e-mail "crossed the line from being passionate to being irresponsible." Bennett blamed no one but himself. "I knew it minutes after I sent this thing. I didn't even read it. It was one of those impulsive stupid things probably all people do, but cabinet ministers aren't allowed to."
Premier Gordon Campbell called the self-destruction of one of his junior ministers "a shame," but said he still had confidence in Bennett. "Frankly I think the way Bill has handled this speaks to his quality as a person. He clearly made a mistake. He's very contrite about that. He's been very clear that he shouldn't have sent the e-mail he did. He said to me that he felt it would be best for him to resign from his post in cabinet. He didn't want this to be a reflection on the government or the caucus."
But the Premier also had praise for his disgraced former minister. "Bill Bennett has been an exceptional MLA for the East Kootenay. He will contiue to be and I will continue to seek his counsel, but I certainly felt his recommendation to step aside was the appropriate one in view of the correspondence that took place.
Having said that, I think people should recognize the great job he's done as a Minister of State for Mining . . . but this was an inappropriate exchange. He was clearly tired after a long day, but as Bill said this in no way excuses it and he felt it was best for the cabinet and the caucus that he step aside and I agreed with him."
Asked if Bennett's political career could recover the same as his own did after an impaired driving conviction, Campbell said "there's no reason why it can't happen. I think Bill is a quality guy and he showed it today when he said it would be best for the government, the caucus and the riding that he do this at this point in time. " Campbell said he's confident Bennett will continue to work hard for his riding and hard on the wildlife harvest allocation issue that led to his downfall from cabinet.
Bennett said there are many "bitter ironies" in his fall from grace, but none more so than the fact he spent much of the past week working on the wildlife harvest allocation issue at the expense of participating as full as he wanted to in the annual Cordilleran Mining Exploration Conference inVancouver."
It was just so frustrating after all that work I was going to meet with the minister (Environment Minister Barry Penner) and really get it fixed and then to hear from Mr. Hart, but that's no excuse." Bennett said Hart's e-mail sent Nov. 19, 2006 sat at the bottom of his pile until late last week when he came across it after a long day at the mining conference and he fired off his ill-considered reply. "I was at the most important mining conference B.C. has, the second biggest mining conference in the world . . . January is my busiest month . . . and I was fatigued."Bennett, who once held a share in a guide outfitting territory in the East Kootenay himself, said he's always cared about hunters. "Somebody has got to look after hunters. They're a vanishing breed. I grew up hunting and I have a real spoft spot in my heart for the people that do that."Asked about the virulent anti-Americanism in his e-mail, Bennett, who two months ago accused the NDP of taking advice from "dirty trick" American political operatives, said "I think that was a cheap shot on my part." Again it's ironic because I actually . . . I'm not anti-American. I have a lot of friends that live in the States. I did business with Americans for many, many years. They were first rate people to deal with. This particular person brought the worst in me out and it was a cheap shot."
Former broadcaster and wildlife author F.J. Hurtak, one of Bennett's closest advisers, called it a dark day for his political colleague. "I think it's tragic the way Bill felt he had to resign over this. He admits he made a mistake. Everyone makes a mistake and despite the mistake he made I think he should be reinstated to the cabinet."
Len Kosiec, the former president of the East Kootenay NDP Constituency Association, said he wasn't all that surprised over what Bennett did. "We know he's done this kind of thing before. He did it to one of our directors, Ken Coates. It's a continuing form of behaviour with him."
Carmen Purdy, former BC Wildlife Federation President and one of Bennett's closest friends and confidantes, said he felt bad for his friend. "I'm terribly disappointed over this. I think it's a terrible mistake. I think Bill is the strongest MLA we've ever had. He's a total working machine. He's done more for the hunting community in this province than any previous MLA . . . There's no one who hasn't made a mistake. We're all sinners."
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Stephen Harper on the Road to Damascus

By GERRY WARNER
Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Feb. 2, 2007
So Stephen Harper wants to be the Jolly Green Giant of Canadian politics to which there can only be one logical response -- not a chance.
Oh, if it was only true that Harper had seen the light so to speak and had a conversion to the environmental cause like Saul on the Road to Damascus. But Harper's own words belie any thought of this. Don't believe me? Then read them for yourself. Less than five years ago in a 2002 fund-raising letter to members of the now defunct Canadian Alliance Party, Harper had this to say about environmentalism, Kyoto and the like: "Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations," says the letter signed by the now-PM. And showing where his true loyalties lie, he goes on to say "Implementing Kyoto will cripple the oil and gas industry . . ." He also blasts the treaty for targeting carbon dioxide, which he says is "essential for life" and plays down the role of carbon in triggering climate change, saying the evidence is "tentative and contradictory" and ends the incendiary missive promising "a battle of Kyoto."
Phew! And we're supposed to believe this is the born-again, true believer who's going to lead Canada down a new road of clean air, sparkling water and sustainable development? Call me a cynic Martha, but I don't believe it. What I do believe is that, ever-the-strategist, Harper has stuck a wet finger in the air and rightly concluded what way the wind is blowing. And the wind indicates Canadians care deeply about the environment -- much more than Harper or his party ever has -- ergo the prime minister orders a green suit and declares himself a born-again environmentalist. So much so that the Kyoto hater and the Kyoto baiter is now willing to --gasp! -- climb into bed with the dreaded socialists and draft a new Clean Air Act if only those commie-loving NDP'ers will prop up his minority government a few months longer. This from the guy that complained in his fund-raising letter of the"job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto Accord."
And it doesn't end there as Harper allowed this week he even sent his new attack dog Environment Minister John Baird to Paris to attend a key UN conference on climate change. But, as he was being battered by the opposition in Parliament last week, Harper made his loftiest pronouncement of all.
Are you ready for this?
Our new, green, super-hero said he's willing to attend a UN Summit on global warming in person if only -- and you couldn't miss the pleading tone in hisvoice -- someone would just send him an invitation. "I have not received an invitation from the United NationsSecretary-General, Harper told the Commons. "However, if we did, we would accept . . . we all realize this is a serious environmental problem that needs immediate action.
"Talk about irony! Talk about what a politician will do to survive. But let's take Canada's newest convert to the environmental cause at his word and hope that this is indeed a sincere conversion. If so, perhaps Canada will finally get the environmental leadership it needs, and who knows, maybe StephenHarper will even get re-elected with a majority. Surely an issue like global warming is too important to leave to mere politicians of any stripe.
If you talk to scientists, the evidence is overwhelming and scientists, to their credit, don't play politics with the issue.When Environment Minister Baird attended the UN conference in Paris last week he heard from a group of leading scientists, whose work on global warming inspired Kyoto, that the evidence of climate change is "unequivocal" and happening faster than expected. French President Jacques Chirac is expected to ask Baird to support creation of a new United Nations environmental agency. Baird hasn't said one way or the other so far, but his answer when it does come may well stand as a litmus test on whether the Harper government is really sincere about its new concern for the environment or is just blowing a lot of political hot air so to speak.
In Vancouver last week, the Fraser Institute, political soulmates of the Harper conservatives, put finishing touches on a report that contends human-caused global warming is a "hypothesis." The Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank and die-hard supporter of the Bush administration, issued a statement saying "anyone who says that the planet is warming at an increasing rate is simply dead wrong."
Obviously the Cato Institute hasn't seen the shrinking glaciers of the Kootenays. Unfortunately, one also has to wonder if Stephen Harper is aware of them either?
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