B.C. education minister looks for better relations with the province’s teachers

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s public school students are heading back to class with labour certainty, but the province’s education minister says keeping it that way will take a lot of time and discussion.

George Abbott says he’s hoping for better relations with the province’s 40,000 public-school teachers after the ratification of a new contract agreement in June.

Last September, the province’s teachers refused to perform certain administrative duties in a dispute over wages, class sizes and class composition.

At the height of their job action, teachers walked out of their classrooms for three days, before being forced back to work by government legislation.

The new contracts gives teachers improved benefits and seniority provisions but no wage increase.

Abbott says the government and teachers need to have honest and open discussion on how to do things differently next time.