It’s time to start working towards real solutions in education

By Lethbridge Herald on November 12, 2025.

Editor:

There have been two news story headlines in the last coupe of weeks, and I find them to be at opposite ends as to what they are doing to us and our emotions.

First, the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the seventh game of the World Series. Woohoo! I find this united us as Canadians. We are proud to have this be a Canadian team, and that through all odds, they are handily winning over a well-respected team. Right now, I will take almost anything to have us become more united and stronger as a nation. I am grateful!

On the other hand, a teacher’s strike has been ended. Not in a way that anybody wanted, but it has been ended. This has been a very divisive thing for our province.  

I am for the teachers. I understand completely that their classrooms are too big, and their salaries have not been keeping up with inflation. Their classrooms are also made up of children with learning disabilities, children from families that have arrived in Canada and English is not their first language, and other challenges that make it hard for teachers to do their job.

Our children today, need to have a good education, and they need to graduate. It is my sincere hope that every child in Alberta receives this education and becomes a productive member of our society upon their graduation. If we do not give them a proper education today, as uneducated people in the future, they will become a burden on our society. So, we must take steps today to secure that education for our children, but a strike by the teachers is not resolving the situation.

I am hopeful that the discussions will continue; we need to continue to find improvements for our education system.

Can we find new people that have fresh ideas come to the bargaining table? Let’s start fresh…let’s keep up the work for the sake of our children.

In watching the news recently, I saw other union leaders come up to a microphone, and they are ready to fight because of the notwithstanding clause the government used. This is the most divisive stance that could be used. If the government is not put in an untenable situation, they won’t use that clause – it is a measure of last resort.

As Albertans, we are encouraged to value freedom, take pride in our achievements, and to care for our neighbours. Let’s celebrate the good things and work hard to make all aspects of our province a better place.

Jacky Ketel

Lethbridge