To the editor:
I am writing this letter with utmost fury at the park board's plan to take full control of all community centres. I am a 19-year-old UBC student, and I taught French at the Kerrisdale Community Centre for two years. I received many testimonials from former students that my program is better than the Alliance Française - and I was only 16 years old at the time. According to the new agenda set up by the park board, I would be considered "unqualified" because I am not technically a licensed teacher, and my program would be cancelled.
What the park board is trying to achieve is, in their terms, "equity." But I'm not fooled. Their primary incentive is to make more money by cutting back some programs and firing many "unqualified" instructors. In what world is this supposed to make community centres better?
Community centres are managing fine without any radical changes. I don't know of one single centre user who is on the parks board's side. Is that not good enough?
I ask anyone reading this to consider this plan carefully. Many people will be seriously affected, especially those who are frequent users of community centres. I am all for equality, but I am also all for logic.
Fay Al-hakim, Vancouver
