If reason is that reliable, why do we produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense?
Unreasonable reasoning
Questions asked
Available evidence demonstrates that, despite the province’s financial affairs being in good order, the NDP Government is satisfied to keep school teacher salaries close to the lowest paid of any Canadian province.
My new initiative
Today I announced my candidacy in the District of North Vancouver for election to SD44. The website normfarrell.ca provides details. Thanks to the many people who’ve already expressed support.
A BC family’s 15-year struggle for justice
Despite the Moore case, which began in the nineties and was finally resolved after 15 years, in 2017, another family was forced to move their their son to a private school offering specialized instruction and supervision. The family is financially crippled by the $2,400 monthly tuition but they know it’s a necessity if their boy is to have a chance at future success.
The misinformation strategy
However, this is a province where government routinely spends billions annually to subsidize multinational resource and power companies and spent 14 years in the courts fighting delivery of educational services to children in need. This government, found by the land’s highest court to be contemptuous of constitutional rights, cannot be counted on to change its priorities.
“Meaningful collective bargaining”
A prominent BC Government supporter wrote last week that, by vote of 6-2, Canada’s high court effectively handed “the Liberals ass on a plate.” Indeed, Justice Beverley McLachlin and colleagues concluded a legal process that should trouble every citizen. Not just that, in setting public education policy, an elected provincial government government behaved like a tin pot dictatorship but that four British Columbia Appeal Court judges believed they could ignore clear precedents established by the nation’s Supreme Court.
Delay, legislate, litigate, repeat
On November 10, Canada’s highest court reinstated Madam Justice Griffin’s 2014 judgement that found BC had bargained with teachers in bad faith and breached the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She awarded BCTF $2 million in damages. This high court action should conclude a dispute that has gone on since 2002 but, as long as British Columbia’s government follows the circular pattern described by this article’s title, it will not. Contempt for teachers is only one aspect of BC Liberal antipathy for public education.
Thoughts on Education From the Inside
This item, written by my eldest son, was first published in June 2014. He refers to a labour dispute and its central issues may be in the news again later in 2016. The Supreme Court […]
Numbers reveal priorities
You are not special
A thoughtful message to new graduates: the 2012 Wellesley High School graduation speech delivered by David McCullough, Jr., son of the famous American writer, historian and broadcaster.
Black Press proves its news instincts once again
A spy in the Prince Rupert region provided information that would probably surprise the unscholarly urban dwellers at the Koch brothers’ favourite Canadian policy institution: Fraser institute identifies Conrad Elementary as […]
BC schools and school children at risk
After the event that killed thousands, injured tens of thousands and affected millions of Nepalese, a Berkeley seismologist spoke about preparations needed in regions with high seismic activity. Dr. Peggy Hellweg said: […]
Enough said…
This comic conveys my disgust at people who diss teachers and try to shortchange education. What is wrong with you? pic.twitter.com/P5lQDTuCgP — Doug Coupland (@DougCoupland) June 18, 2014 Please, take time to […]
Everything is awesome – UPDATED
Few students in BC graduate from post-secondary schooling laden with debt, according to Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Advanced Education in British Columbia. Wilkinson asserts there is no student debt problem. He claimed […]
#bced in my twitterverse
On @globalnews Sandy @Garossino suggested readings of J.Griffin's judgement with findings of bad faith. Start here: http://t.co/Xmw8LmiNYZ — Norm Farrell (@Norm_Farrell) September 10, 2014 "Democracy has to be born anew every generation, […]
The real news gets ignored – REPLAY
I wrote the following article in 2011. It demonstrates how little has changed. On the day George Abbott became the first Education Minister to speak at a convention of the teachers’ union […]
Next we sell off naming rights for schools – REPLAY
This article first published September 2011 remains timely. Private business promoters aim to eliminate public enterprises through privatization, contracting out and outsourcing. They promote the myth that delivery of services by private, often […]
Government serves insiders and elites
Plutocrats It is clear that BC Liberal strategy is to reward insiders and elites. That’s been shown in countless ways, particularly since Christy Clark took office as Premier in 2011. Shortly after […]
Planned degradation of public education
Principal reports on devastating budget cuts to parent population. Such honesty needed for all of BC. #bced #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/aYeROVmdPh — Karen Richard (@KarenRichard14) September 10, 2014 The first comment here reminded me […]
UBC Professor of Law Joel Bakan speaks
“I see a lot of sense in the BCTF’s insistence on eliminating E80 from the package for consideration in binding arbitration… “As is true of any negotiation, the respective bargaining positions of […]
IN-SIGHTS 
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