April 23, 2014 - 3:04 PM
VANCOUVER - Job action by B.C. teachers wasn't supposed to affect students, but about 10 school districts cancelled recess on the first day of a limited strike across the province.
B.C. Teachers Federation president Jim Iker says 10 districts who took the inappropriate step of cancelling recess should reconsider their decision because principals and other excluded staff are more than capable of supervising students for 15 minutes a day.
He says they didn't even try to find coverage for recess but cancelled it because it's inconvenient for principals and management.
Iker says the first stage of the strike involves teachers refusing to supervise students outside the classroom or communicating in writing with administrators, not directly impacting students.
Wages and class size and composition are the major stumbling blocks as teachers and the government try to negotiate a contract.
The Education Ministry says nine school districts cancelled recess on Wednesday.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014