SURREY B次元官网网址� After SurreyB次元官网网址檚 school district recently revealed a huge shortage of on-call teachers, the union representing education assistants say the situation is far worse for them.

On Nov. 22nd alone, 101 education assistant (EA) positions went unfilled in Surrey when staff were off sick or otherwise absent, CUPE 728 president Ryan Groundwater told the .

B次元官网网址淭he number of EA positions not filled grew from 44 in September to almost 800 in October,B次元官网网址� said Groundwater, who represents the union representing 4,000 education support staff in Surrey, including 1,500 education assistants.

B次元官网网址淎nd this month, weB次元官网网址檝e already hit 700 EA positions not filled, with another nine school days to go.B次元官网网址�

But itB次元官网网址檚 not just Surrey, Groundwater said.

B次元官网网址淭his is province-wide. ItB次元官网网址檚 an epidemic.B次元官网网址�

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Groundwater said the shortfall of education assistants means some cover five or six students at a time.

B次元官网网址淯nder these conditions, an EA may not physically be able to pay close enough attention to each student to catch behaviour before it escalates into a problem,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey are not able to give each student the attention needed.B次元官网网址�

Groundwater blames the former Liberal government due to 16 years of B次元官网网址渃hronicB次元官网网址� underfunding.

B次元官网网址淲e have to hold the former government accountable,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t led to these shortagesB次元官网网址� We have a more progressive government now but it will take time.B次元官网网址�

Groundwater said the solution could lie in how EAs are paid.

B次元官网网址淐urrently full-time EAs in high schools work 32 hours and those in elementary schools work only 30 hours each week,B次元官网网址� he explained. B次元官网网址淏y providing more hours for EAs so that they could earn a living wage, we would attract and retain more EAs in our system. Addressing incidences of violence in classrooms, of which EAs take the brunt, would also help draw more people into the field.B次元官网网址�

Finally, he said he is B次元官网网址渙ptimisticB次元官网网址� there will be new funding in the NDPB次元官网网址檚 B.C. budget in February.

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See also:

The unionB次元官网网址檚 vice president Marcey Campbell said sheB次元官网网址檚 seen first-hand how the shortage affects children in need.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e seen so many kids that are basically left alone when their EAs are being pulled or not replaced. IB次元官网网址檝e seen kids that have, unfortunately, sat in front of a tablet for a few hours because there isnB次元官网网址檛 that support for them,B次元官网网址� she told the Now-Leader.

Campbell explained EAs support children with behaviour concerns, medical concerns, toileting or mobility concerns, children with disabilities like autism and ADHD and B次元官网网址渆ven typical kids that sometimes just need a little bit of extra help are going unserviced.B次元官网网址�

Campbell said while teacher shortages are often in the news, EAs tend to take a back seat.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e always kind of been on the back burner. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why weB次元官网网址檙e in this horrendous situation.B次元官网网址�

The Now-Leader has asked the Surrey school district for comment.

amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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