What seems like pie in the sky to this Ontario teacher is not such an unreasonable demand for my brothers and sisters in Buenos Aires. The teachers here refused to start the school year last week until they sorted out their contracts with the government, who is calling their demands for a 35% pay hike outrageous.
But in a country where the cost of ice cream has risen 25% in 3 months, and subway fares have doubled since we arrived in September, one has to look at such demands in context.
Teacher salaries are pathetically low in this country to begin with, and the state of the public school system here is, well... a little "different" from our own. Although it's true that teachers here receive health benefits and nice holidays like we do in Canada, their salaries are nevertheless abysmal, and working conditions are stressfull at best.
Even if they are successful in getting 35%, teachers here will still be fighting an uphill battle every day in their classrooms. I wish them luck in their ongoing struggles.
But in a country where the cost of ice cream has risen 25% in 3 months, and subway fares have doubled since we arrived in September, one has to look at such demands in context.
Teacher salaries are pathetically low in this country to begin with, and the state of the public school system here is, well... a little "different" from our own. Although it's true that teachers here receive health benefits and nice holidays like we do in Canada, their salaries are nevertheless abysmal, and working conditions are stressfull at best.
Even if they are successful in getting 35%, teachers here will still be fighting an uphill battle every day in their classrooms. I wish them luck in their ongoing struggles.