New to Bendall Books: Worlds Apart

For forty-years we’ve been witnessing a struggle between the province and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation for control of public education. It has been a costly struggle. One consequence of this is the currently disastrous state of labour relations in schools, something that stands as the most serious impediment to educational progress in a province long polarized in its political and economic affairs.

Worlds Apart, a history of provincial schools examines the roots of this conflict, the turbulent nature of organizational relationships in public schools,and the profound changes that have marked the social world before and after 1972. It describes and compares two very different “worlds”of schooling. During the first century of its operation the public education system was regarded as among the best in the nation and a source of immense provincial pride. Since 1972, however, public schooling has fallen on hard times, surrendering its once-prominent place in the hearts of British Columbians… (read on)

 ”Dr. Fleming’s new book, World’s Apart, looks at the evolution of the education system in B.C…He says the three institutional pillars of the system — the union, the government, and the school trustees — are anti-visionary, anti-technological, and completely committed to the status quo…”  - Gary Mason for the Globe and Mail.   Read the rest of the article here.

“Fleming’s heavily sourced book is a must-read for those anxious to understand the current standoff between Victoria and the BCTF…”  - Jon Ferry for The Province.   Read the rest of the article here.

“B.C. opened its first public school in 1872. “Those first hundred years we had a really harmonious system,” said Thomas Fleming.  As he charts in his book, Worlds Apart, that extended honeymoon ended 40 years ago…”  - Justine Hunter for the Globe and Mail.   Read the rest of the article here.