I’m not in Alberta, but pay doesn’t seem to be the sticking point here - the union is trying to negotiate on class sizes (which AFAIK the province is refusing to even disclose) and classroom supports.
In elementary grades most kids are together for every class. So a Grade 1 class with 25 kids has 25 kids. But by senior high there are lots of options. You might have 30 kids in English class but only 15 in Biology and 10 in Band.
And complexity is even trickier. A class of 30 kids of at similar skill levels is far easier to teach than a class of 20 that has 10 kids who dont speak English as their first language and 5 who have individual planning programs and 2 who have severe behavior/mental health issues.
So saying class sizes must be capped at x number is not a simple measure at all.
I’m not in Alberta, but pay doesn’t seem to be the sticking point here - the union is trying to negotiate on class sizes (which AFAIK the province is refusing to even disclose) and classroom supports.
Class size is not a simple matter.
In elementary grades most kids are together for every class. So a Grade 1 class with 25 kids has 25 kids. But by senior high there are lots of options. You might have 30 kids in English class but only 15 in Biology and 10 in Band.
And complexity is even trickier. A class of 30 kids of at similar skill levels is far easier to teach than a class of 20 that has 10 kids who dont speak English as their first language and 5 who have individual planning programs and 2 who have severe behavior/mental health issues.
So saying class sizes must be capped at x number is not a simple measure at all.