Toronto High School Teachers' Strike Action

This week, over 80% members of the Toronto High School Teachers Union have endorsed a strike action plan. While their demands for wage increase and job security have already been accepted (in this environment of recession!) by the School Board, now these privileged members of the society are complaining that they are being asked to supervise school children when the students are not in classes, e.g during lunch period or in playground. This extra supervision duty will make a teacher work on an average an extra eight minutes per day! An extra eight minutes a day is a big deal for these teachers, and are willing to go on strike. They don't care if studies of thousands of students is affected by their strike, but why should they supervise children for extra eight minutes per day for the safety of the children, even when they are physically present in the school. The same teachers gladly wait for an hour or more for their own children when they drive them for an evening hockey or soccer game.

The Toronto High School teachers remind me Mr. Ayodhya Dass, my high school Principal. When I was in Grade 8 or 9, our Government School building was being reconstructed. Half the building was demolished and a new building was being build in its place. Due to the shortage of classrooms, the school was being run in two shifts. The morning shift was looked after by the Principal and the afternoon shift was run by the Vice Principal. One day, our Vice Principal was transferred to another school and due to some reason, the new Vice Principal who was supposed to join our school did not arrive. Then, Mr. Ayodhya Dass, whom I admire, started looking after both shifts. He used to arrive the school around 6.30 am and leave in the evening around 6.00 pm. He did not own a vehicle and used to commute by public bus. His house was located at least 10 KMs from the school, so I hope he was spending an hour of commute time each way. And, our great Principal did this not for a day or two but for more than a year! I am sure that he was not paid any money for all the extra hours he devoted for the students.

The purpose of living on the earth should be little more than always worrying about the money we get for what we do for others.