BC Teachers Protests Bill 22 With 22 Marathons In 22 Days

By 250 News

Prince George, BC - In an effort to draw attention to what he feels has been a decade of staggering cuts to BC classrooms, a North Vancouver teacher will spend the last month of summer vacation running a marathon a day for 22-days.

"For years now, we have been asked to do more with less," says elementary school teacher, Ian Cunliffe.  "We've reached the point where the average teacher is spending over $1,000 of their own take-home pay trying to bridge the funding shortfall in order to meet the needs of their students."

In his six years of teaching, Cunliffe says he's witnessed this erosion of funding and its impact on students first-hand.  And, with a shortfall once more projected for 2013, he has decided to take a stand...actually, a run.

On August 8th, Cunliffe will lace up his runners in the East Kootenay community of Sparwood with plans to run/walk the 1100-kilometre route back to Vancouver.  The teacher has completed several ultra marathons, including the world's toughest race, the Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara Desert.

He says, "It's time for people to demand that government commit to adequately funding our public school system to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to succeed."

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Comments

Posted by: Jim13135 on July 29 2012 9:06 AM

He spends a $1000 of his own money to cover funding shortfalls??? Have you ever heard the term enabler?

Posted by: mattyc on July 29 2012 9:36 AM

He says, "It's time for people to demand that government commit to adequately funding our public school system to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to succeed."


LOL LOL LOL LOl
Don't you know teach we the people have to pay for the OWE--limp--ikz.

Did you forget that? AAfterall we only OWE about 10 billion for that, so we got to watch these pieces of shit run and ski and waste all that money so now you get nothing. Healthcare education etc. get nothing.

Posted by: rocky on July 29 2012 11:14 AM

Uh Oh. Batty Matty has the LOL dispenser set on high this morning. Maybe something (or someone) else is also on high.

Posted by: cmdrjoe on July 29 2012 1:01 PM

Must be nice to have all that time off in the summer to be able to do this!

I'm currently sitting at my work desk, reading the news while I wolf down a burger because at my office we also have to "do more with less." It's called life, and if you didn't get all those nice summers off and christmas and spring break, Mr. Teacher here would know what real life actually was like.

It sucks, it shouldn't happen, but you do what you can.

Posted by: rocky on July 29 2012 1:21 PM

The majority of his marathon training was running for the door at 2:30 pm after a hard day's 'work'.

Posted by: interceptor on July 29 2012 6:21 PM

Six whole years hey? What an expert. This was a nice story to read on a Sunday evening after I worked half of Saturday. I hope you enjoy your 22 days as much as I enjoyed my 36 hours.

Posted by: NoWay on July 29 2012 7:40 PM

Waaaaa about they get the summer off. I guess you guys should of stayed in school.

Posted by: Taxed Out! on July 29 2012 8:44 PM

Wow! Alot of WHINERS on opinion 250 today!
For those who are working your saturdays eating your lunch at your desk because your boss made cuts too bad so sad, you have only yourself to blame for being a pussy!

Posted by: karrman on July 29 2012 10:41 PM

rocky writes:
The majority of his marathon training was running for the door at 2:30 pm after a hard day's 'work'.

Another stupid comment rocky..... you might have something intelligent to say one day, but I'm not betting on it.