The show will go on
Teachers won't nix graduation ceremonies

Despite low morale among teachers, many are still putting students first and will be volunteering their time for high school graduation-related activities this year.

At Steveston and McMath secondaries, events are going forward as in the past thanks to the goodwill of teachers.

"I'm proud of the staff," Steveston vice-principal Rick White said. "Their commitment to kids is very evident."

Knowing the current climate in the teaching profession, students, teachers and parents met early on to discuss how this year's events, such as the valedictory ceremony and graduation dinner, could be impacted. But after all the issues were raised, teachers and staff remained committed.

"We committed to the parents to go ahead with the events. That's a credit to the staff," White said.

At McMath, plans around this year's graduation are also proceeding as usual.

"I'm very pleased that teachers are in a very large degree putting students first," McMath vice-principal Craig Svalestuen said.

Richmond Teachers Association president Al Klassen said morale among teaches is low, but there is no concerted effort to interrupt this year's grad events.

"There is no job action and we are not planning any job action," he said.

"If events are going forward, it's because teachers who have volunteered in the past have decided to do so again. I think in many schools, teachers will step forward and take (grad events) on. In other schools they will not."

If students and parents are not sure of what is happening in their school this year, Klassen urged them to approach the administrative staff to find out.

As a result of being legislated back to work and being deemed an essential service, and with large scale layoffs expected, morale among teachers is low, Klassen said.

"There are great levels of stress that are occurring in the teacher profession right now. Morale right now isn't very great in the system."

Last year, morale was great.

"But in the space of a year, we've gone from a lot of good will in the system to almost none."

Klassen said he hasn't heard of any grad events that have been cancelled because not enough teachers were volunteering.

"If the extra in the system is dependent on the good will of teachers, why would you destroy that," he said of the provincial government cutbacks to education spending.