Community Event to Protest Against Education Cutbacks
More Protests
While we did a great job, our work isn’t done, yet. Not until the provincial government changes their stance. There are a couple of more protests I wanted to publicize:
RESPOND TO EDUCATION CUTS
Tuesday April 20th:
3:30 pm:
Rally and March organized by General Gordon ElementaryParents, students and teachers from ALL schools welcome: Meet 3:30 at SW corner of Broadway and Granville – then at 4pm march to Ed. Minister Margaret MacDiarmid’s office 2 blocks east at 1245 W Broadway. www.gordonelementary.ca Bring your own signs.
VANCOUVER’S INNER CITY MARCH FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
JOIN US as we speak to the Vancouver School Board’s Trustees at a Public Consultation Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 20th at 7:00 pm
Location: Mount Pleasant Elementary SchoolMARCH Meeting Location: Grandview/?Uuqinak’uuh Elementary School by Front Doors
Address 2055 Woodland Drive, Vancouver at 6:00pm Tuesday, April 2010 Rally MARCH Starts at 6:15pm
We will be MARCHING along East Broadway to Mount Pleasant Elementary School at 2300 Guelph Street.
To object to the nature of the cuts at our schools that will definitely hurt the quality of education in our classrooms and affect the safety of our children.
Note: to be on the speakers list, you must send your submission to the Vancouver School Board office by Thursday April 15, 2010 to Attn: Administrative Coordinator, Secretary-Treasurer’s Office, email budget2010 11@vsb.bc.ca or fax it to 604-713-5049 or drop it off at 1580 West Broadway.
The Protest!
The protest was a rousing success with more than 300 hundred people showing up and showing their outrage at the provincial government for underfunding education and forcing cuts across the province. We had television and radio organizations out in force, and our voice has already been heard.
- On Global
- On News1130. Notice their slant on the story.
It was also on CBC television and radio, I’ve been told, and should appear on CityTV either tonight or tomorrow morning. Unfortunately CityTV wanted to go live at the event but couldn’t get a signal out.
Great job everyone. Thanks to everyone involved, including the Hastings band that kept us entertained!
I’ve drafted a new press release detailing the event. Anyone with connections to the media, please circulate it and keep this story in the news.
I have video of the event that I will try and post when I can (thanks Peter- and cameraman- for all your help).
Update!
Things are going very well in anticipation of the protest on Monday morning. Television and radio stations and newspapers have been contacted and this is starting to look like it will be a great media event! If you work for the media, or know someone that does, make sure they’ll be out there covering what is promising to be an important and major protest against these education cuts.
Band members, who may not have that opportunity if this budget goes through, will be out in force with their instruments, so we should have some music to “march” to (no, we don’t plan on marching).
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DID YOU KNOW…
- The percentage of the Provincial budget dedicated to education has fallen from 25% in 1990 to 15% in the last budget
- Since Gordon Campbell’s Liberal’s took office in 2001, the percentage dedicated to education has fallen nearly 5%
- The school support system, which includes counsellors and teacher’s assistants, is a major way of helping at-risk kids stay in school and out of a life of crime
- Extra-curricular activities, like band, are some of the best ways to keep kids interested in and connected to school
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Everyone is encouraged to make and bring their own signs. If you have an idea for a slogan, or just want to vent your frustration about what’s happening, please leave a comment.