Some field trips in the Coast Mountains school district are being cancelled due to confusion between the district and the teachers.
As a part of what teachers are calling phase one of job action in hopes of pressuring the province for a new contract, teachers are no longer collecting permission forms and money for field trips not considered part of a course curriculum.
Instead, they're asking principals and vice principals to perform those tasks.
Local teachers union president Karen Andrews said some principals and vice principals aren't carrying out those tasks.
“We're really disappointed that administrators would decide not to complete the paper work,” Andrews said.
She thinks trips that had already been approved are still going ahead and that is only field trips now lacking necessary paperwork that are being affected.
Coast Mountains school district human resources director Balwinder Rai says teachers and the district have a different opinion on how field trips should be organized, and who is responsible for it.
He said it all comes down to a ruling on the matter from the Labour Relations Board (LRB) in July. That ruling set out conditions for teachers to withdraw services.
“There seems to be a disagreement on what the LRB order states with respect to field trips in this regard,” Rai said.
He understands the issue is being referred back to the LRB for clarification and a decision.
“Our schools encourage continuation of field trips in keeping with the LRB order, however, normal approval procedures apply and must be followed for field trips to continue,” Rai said.
When proper permissions is not obtained for a trip, liability issues prevent it from being approved.