Manitoba Teachers' Society says new education model is 'hypocritical'

A classroom is pictured in a CTV News file photo.

WINNIPEG — The president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS) is speaking out on the province’s proposed changes to the education system, calling the plan ‘hypocritical’ and saying it could be harmful to student outcomes.

On Monday, the Manitoba government released its plan for possible changes to K to 12 education in the province, which would see the 37 school divisions merged into 15 regions and the elimination of elected school boards.

James Bedford, MTS president, said the plan doesn’t show an appreciation for the work that school boards do, but rather focuses on the financial aspect of it. He added that school boards and trustees are a valuable part of the province’s education system.

“They’re the people who ensure that our schools are meeting the needs of the communities that they’re in, but they also ensure the schools within a division are all working together towards the same goal,” he said.

Bedford added that it’s ‘somewhat hypocritical’ that democratically elected politicians have decided that democratically elected school trustees are unnecessary.

MERGING THE SCHOOL DIVISIONS

As part of the province’s education plan, a provincial education authority, made up of appointed members, would oversee the 15 regions.

Bedford said to have a single, appointed authoritative body is problematic as there’s no way it can make individualized decisions for each school.

“The default I think is going to be that every school in the province needs to look like every other school in the province,” he said.

“The real losers of that are going to be the students in those schools.”

As for who will be able to represent the individual schools, the province’s plan proposes that parents and primary caregivers will be able to do so through school community councils with elected members.

Bedford noted that it costs money to program for the education system, and therefore the school community councils would require spending authority to put plans in place.

“I don’t see anywhere in this plan where those school-based groups will have any spending authority,” he said.

“So you may have the authority to make changes, but if you don’t have the funds to actually implement any changes, then everything is going to flow from the top down.”

REMOVING PRINCIPALS FROM THE UNION

A part of the province’s K to 12 education plan that Bedford says could negatively impact students is the proposal to remove principals from the union.

He said other provinces have done this, and the research consistently shows it results in lower outcomes for students.

“What you do within the school when you remove principals from the bargaining unit is you create an adversarial relationship between teachers and principals,” Bedford said.

Bedford added that classrooms work when the teachers, students, and parents all work together to get the best outcomes, but “when you bring adversity in there, things work in exactly the opposite direction.”

- With files from CTV’s Nicole Dube, Michael D’Alimonte and Josh Crabb.