rayt@cognos.UUCP (R.) (11/13/89)
In article <12258@watcgl.waterloo.edu> Mark Earnshaw writes: >The strike began on October 18 so has been going on for 3.5 weeks now. As far >as I know, the main issue is that of salaries. Currently, the maximum possible >salary for a college teacher is below that of every school board in the >province (secondary and elementary). Either we're overpaying the sec./ele. >teachers or underpaying the college teachers (take your pick). [...] >[M]y father is also losing about $1000 per week [on the picket line]. I couldn't let this pass: the man is making _at least_ $50K a year and is on strike for more money! As I understand it, this is in the middle range for university professors: who are primarily charged with _research_. It is certainly outrageous for secondary and elementary teachers, and, as I understand it, community college teachers are not in the research business either; thus this salary is purely for their instructional talents. If pressed, I could probably name three or four professors worth this as instructors; I could name _no_ secondary teachers worth this. As a reference, I have taken graduate and undergraduate courses in at least 9 different departments (ranging from fine arts to engineering); involving 5 for courses at least at the third year level (spread over 5 Canadian universities). (I've been rectifying a deficient secondary education!) Also, based on the quality of the students I have met coming into university from secondary school, a good chunk of these $50K secondary school teachers are incompetent (i.e. only worth $20K). Perhaps, though, these community college teachers are the hidden stars of our educational system. Dubito. For your amusement I have appended a table showing where Canada ranks internationally on public educational spending (1987). United States ...................... 4900 per pupil Canada ............................. 4700 per pupil West Germany ....................... 3200 per pupil France ............................. 2900 per pupil Japan .............................. 2900 per pupil Britian ............................ 2300 per pupil In US dollars (+/- $100/pupil) Regrettably, I wasn't able to come up with the statistics on how Canadians rank internationally in terms of skill and ingenuity. My impression is that it is at least below West Germans (generally), and probably above Britians. Any concrete statement would be quite welcome, however. R. -- Ray Tigg | Cognos Incorporated | P.O. Box 9707 (613) 738-1338 x5013 | 3755 Riverside Dr. UUCP: rayt@cognos.uucp | Ottawa, Ontario CANADA K1G 3Z4