Since last summer the Vancouver Community College Faculty Association (FPSE Local 15) and the students at VCC have been campaigning to force the BC Liberal government to continue financing an important English training program that the government plans to axe on December 17th. Over the last several decades, each academic year has seen some 5,700 new Canadians, many recent immigrants, and others already citizens, receive English language skill upgrades from some 150 top-level ESL teachers. The government’s cutting of funding will leave no place for the students to go, and will result in the layoff of 150 top English teaching professionals.

The ETEA is in strong support of our colleagues at VCC and all other public sector institutions that are affected by the loss of funding. The language training programs at VCC are standard bearers for all of us who work in language training. If the BC government wants to ensure the principles of quality within the private education sector, it falls on it to set the example of what quality means. This does not happen by removing funding and losing quality programs. This happens by maintaining quality programs such as the ones at VCC, which serve as an example for the rest of the industry to strive for. ETEA adds our voice to call on the government to restore funding for post-secondary English as a Second Language programs.