Social Justice - MSC BCRTA board designate representatives to meet with provincial government officials at the earliest possible date to ensure that all college members who pay $0 in fees and have non practicing on pension designation be exempt from Criminal Records check until such time as they apply to the college for a change of status. Need to research costs, rationale, etc before meeting with Government Cliff, Diane, and Sheila be the designates.
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NOTE: This memo is for your information. Of course you are welcome to reply if you wish but replies are not essential.
Many members have expressed concern and bewilderment over the Criminal Record Review Act that requires the B.C. College of Teachers to conduct criminal record reviews of all its members every five years. Retired educators whose surnames begin with the letters A to E have received letters from the College explaining that they must submit the required permission form or face various severe penalties. Alternatively they can resign their College memberships. The College also suggested that they might surrender their teaching certificates. People whose surnames begin with the letters F to Z will be subject to review in subsequent years and every five years thereafter. It is important to note that the College is adamantly opposed to this legislation. However, the Government has told the College it must comply.
At the behest of the BCRTA Board of Directors I wrote to the Attorney General and to the College pointing out the shocking waste of resources involved in checking the records of thousands of retired people who will never be returning to teaching nor volunteer work in schools. I suggested that checks should be done only on those whose status changes. Naturally the College replied that they must do as the law commanded. The Solicitor General has just replied, saying that the law will not be altered.
The Board of Directors appointed a three-person sub-committee to work on this matter: Cliff Boldt, Diane Gorton and me. Diane and I will be meeting the College Registrar on January 5th and the College Chair on January 20th. The College has organized a partnership made up of groups who are affected by this legislation. The partnership meets on January 29th and we will be attending that meeting too. We will do all we can to alter this situation and we’ll keep you informed about what transpires.
Meanwhile, however, our A -E members must abide by the regulations as laid out in the communication mailed to them by the College. Please advise your members accordingly.
I know that some branches are inviting the College representative for their area to address a membership meeting and that seems like a good idea to me. Now back to the holly and eggnog.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.