Fredericton — The superintendent of Anglophone West School District has announced that Fredericton High School will undergo construction during the summer months to build a large nursing-home unit. The attachment will help ease the transition for elderly teachers from full-time employment to full-time care.
Superintendent David McTimoney said the state-of-the-art facility will be the first of many in the province, and that it makes sense for the oldest English high school in Canada to also employ the oldest teachers in New Brunswick. “FHS used to be down on the corner of York and George in 1893 — and we actually have some of the original teachers still working here. When the school moved to its current location in 1925, those teachers came right along with it. They say they’re still worn out from that move, and they’re not about to move again to a nursing home.
“They’re so dedicated to education, they simply refuse to retire,” McTimoney added with a shrug. “So, we’re going to do our best to accommodate them.”
Some critics of the decision argue that the school should force any teachers older than 85 into retirement; this would allow young education grads to fill their spots rather than making them look out-of-province for teaching positions.
“I’ve been supplying at FHS for almost 10 years now,” said Heidi Hanson, 34. “I’d love the consistency of a full-time teaching gig, but I guess I have to wait for some of these geezers to kick the bucket. Seriously — do they need to be working until they die? Some of them are still teaching ‘arithmetic’ and slapping left-handed students with a ruler, forcing them to use their ‘correct’ hand. And I know at least 2 teachers here are still making use of a ‘dunce cap’ on a regular basis. Give it a rest!”
History teacher Ebineezer Keaton, 121, has lived out every event he’s ever taught; as he can accurately recount history for his students from memory, the school is reluctant to push him into retirement in order to save money on textbooks. Keaton said his savings are nowhere near what they’d need to be for him to live out his remaining golden years in comfort, let alone luxury. “I started putting away a dollar a week when I first got hired by FHS,” he said. “Now, in those days, a dollar a week could get you 2 new pairs of slacks and some Ganong black licorice, your rent, enough feed for your horses and all your kids, a shoeshine …” He trailed off when he noticed a scantily clad Grade 11 student striding down the hall, and began to shuffle along behind her and holler at her to cover up.
McTimoney claims that going forward with the nursing wing is crucial given the school’s bad rap in recent months. “After the whole dress-code fiasco, we’ve been trying to come up with ways to build good PR, and to cut the faculty some slack. I just don’t want to be accused of ageism or elder abuse or anything like that.”
The wing is being funded by STU BEd students’ tuitions and will mean a hefty tax hike for New Brunswickers. Construction begins the day after prom.
I am really happy to hear about this! I taught at FHS for a number of years and I am glad that the old folk are now under one roof. It will it really convenient to visit the ones who are
still alive and sort of kicking.
Does this mean that the elderly teachers will remain in FHS with their jobs?
If yes, I doubt that this will be a good idea.
I am one of the FHS’s graduates, so I have no intention to attack any of the high school’s elderly teachers.
Still, I assume that the education that they offer is quite outdated. If they remain in the high school, I presume that the high school may have more cons than pros.
Yes, occasionally, it will be really pleasing to see the elderly teachers still alive and healthy. Some of the teachers have been very delightful and generous to me, too. I miss them a lot, too.
On the other hand, considering the recent articles/reports about the expense that the school needs for some facility repairs, the level of education that the school offers, and the motivation of students in the education system, I am not sure if building the nursing home and (possibly) allowing them to continue teaching the youths is a good idea.
There are a tons of job cuts happening in the community. The majority of young population in here may be still anxious about holding their jobs or getting a job in here — in fact, this is why many of them leave New Brunswick. New Brunswick has a high debt and some of the economics experts have warned that if New Brunswick doesn’t want to bankrupt, they should have a plan on-going.
Therefore, if the elderly teachers may remain in their positions and continue their teaching career, how are the young teachers going to get a job in here? The elderly teachers can also apply for retirement plan and receive money from the government (in my awareness), so why should they be remaining in their positions to constantly earn money? If the elderly teachers are really refusing to retire only because they are dedicated to teach, they should demand for special system that they can continue their dedication.
Additionally, this job-cutting actions are happening in world-wide. Canada is one of the victims who is expressing anxiousness about how we will survive from this global situation.
Some politicians are saying that “we are getting better,” but without any statistical report (that is not fabricated), I don’t think that we should really trust them because they can blind us with their words.
It is the fact that we do not know how much building this nursing-home would cost, but shouldn’t we really consider the cost of building this nursing-home and the privilege for the elderly teachers who may be allowed to continue their teaching career?
I know that we do our best to respect the elders in this community — which is a great pride that I also think of. However, to what extend should we respect them and to what not?