Surprise! Public money for private schools
Why announce funding for future buildings but ignore investments to hire teachers and EAs that could address staffing issues right now?
Published Sep 26, 2024 in The Sherwood Park News • 3 minute read
After I completed my post-secondary studies, I had a job traveling across Western Canada, visiting high schools promoting post-secondary education as a recruiter for the University of Alberta and its Faculty of Engineering. It was an exciting role that took me to many publicly funded schools in Alberta and, on occasion, a selection of private schools in other provinces, too.
Despite their differences, I learned through that job that Alberta’s fantastic publicly funded education system often outshined private schools in many ways.
Growing up in Sherwood Park, I knew very little about private schools in our province, with my only real reference being movies like the Dead Poets Society. There is not a strong tradition of sending our kids to private schools in Alberta because our publicly funded schools are excellent and offer a variety of specialized programming. Our publicly funded schools in Alberta include Catholic schools and schools with religious education like Strathcona Christian Academy.
So, it is alarming to see the UCP government now directing public funds away from a system that works, and committing taxpayer money toward new buildings for private schools that charge families tuition for students to attend.
Surprise! On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Premier Smith announced a jaw-dropping $8.6 billion investment in new school construction over the next three years. The UCP created the provincial budget only six months ago and they are now just waking up to the fact that Alberta’s school age population is growing beyond the capacity of our existing schools. Families, teachers, and students have been aware of the challenges in our schools for quite some time.
Alberta has the lowest funding per student of any other province in Canada. Overcrowded classrooms are becoming the norm, and a steadily growing number of students require complex and individualized attention. At the same time, educational assistants (EAs) have not had a raise in more than 10 years, and teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate due to poor work conditions and a lack of support.
I still have many questions. Why did the UCP wait until we were in a crisis before acting? Why announce funding for future buildings but ignore investments to hire teachers and EAs that could address staffing issues right now? What good is a capital plan for new schools without a plan to staff them?
Will contractors charge Albertans a risk premium to work on school projects? The construction industry remains skeptical of government announcements after the Green Line debacle in Calgary — promises were made, jobs were lined up, and shovels were in the ground. Then, the UCP changed their minds and took the money off the table. This announcement to build new schools could be meaningless if the Premier changes her mind about it, too.
Stable governments practice good governance: They consult with their communities, make transparent decisions, and ensure any financial commitments are reflected in their budgets. None of this occurred before surprising us with this $8.6 billion announcement on a random Tuesday night in September.
While it is encouraging to see the government finally acknowledge the need for more schools, only time will tell if this investment is a genuine step forward or just another hasty reaction.
Please reach out to me if you have any thoughts on this or other issues that are top of mind for you.
Kyle Kasawski is the MLA for Sherwood Park. If you have questions about this column or any provincial issues, he would like to hear from you. Find his contact information at meetkyle.ca
Kyle,
Thank you for this well written & informative article in the Sherwood Park News.
Maggie Carr