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Higher taxes for a better system

As a grandparent and former school trustee, I am appalled by Premier Christy Clark’s attitude towards public education

As a grandparent and former school trustee, I am appalled by Premier Christy Clark’s attitude towards public education.

I gladly pay my provincial taxes because I expect the provincial government to deliver provincial services such as good roads, a good police force, a good legal system, an excellent health-care system, and an excellent public school system.

This government has been underfunding the public school system since 2002. School trustees have been forced to make many difficult decisions when reducing or terminating many desirable programs to balance their budgets.

This year, our local trustees faced a projected budget deficit of over $1 million and they again had to make several painful decisions to balance their budget.

Our teachers are on the picket line because this underfunding of public education has made it difficult, if not impossible, to deliver the education our students are entitled to.

The teachers have already accepted binding arbitration as a way to settle this dispute. It is time for the government to also accept binding arbitration so the teachers and their students can return to their classrooms where they belong.

I will gladly pay more provincial taxes if that is necessary to have an excellent public school system in B.C.

John Henderson