In a provincial first, Alberta government to partially fund independent school construction
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Danielle Smith to push further with two-tiered education, giving greater control to the UCP to tune an elite culture and to develop more parties in the Education sector beholden to the UCP. The UCP is shoring up support and tightening the ranks as it expects greater push back on its referendums and CorruptCare backlash.
Choosing to divert money to independent school capital projects at a time the government is facing a deficit budget is baffling, said Wing Li, communications director for Support Our Students (SOS) Alberta, a public education advocacy organization.
“We find it egregious,” Li said. “When you look at the tale of two systems, the public system needs resources.”
The provincial government said because it costs the treasury less to fund the education of an independent school student, it anticipates breaking even on the school expansions within seven years.
However, Li said the money could be paying for assets the public does not own or can’t access. She said she thinks once public funding of independent school construction is normalized, the government may expand the practice.
She said the public school system should be funded adequately to serve students with disabilities so they don’t feel compelled to turn to private options.
Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling said on Friday that the province is now an outlier in Canada for this type of expense. He said he believes that the program should be “alarming to all Albertans,” while the public system is so underfunded.
“The fact that we're spending public dollars on private schools makes no sense," he said.
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R relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
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Danielle Smith to push further with two-tiered education, giving greater control to the UCP to tune an elite culture and to develop more parties in the Education sector beholden to the UCP. The UCP is shoring up support and tightening the ranks as it expects greater push back on its referendums and CorruptCare backlash.
Choosing to divert money to independent school capital projects at a time the government is facing a deficit budget is baffling, said Wing Li, communications director for Support Our Students (SOS) Alberta, a public education advocacy organization.
“We find it egregious,” Li said. “When you look at the tale of two systems, the public system needs resources.”
The provincial government said because it costs the treasury less to fund the education of an independent school student, it anticipates breaking even on the school expansions within seven years.
However, Li said the money could be paying for assets the public does not own or can’t access. She said she thinks once public funding of independent school construction is normalized, the government may expand the practice.
She said the public school system should be funded adequately to serve students with disabilities so they don’t feel compelled to turn to private options.
Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling said on Friday that the province is now an outlier in Canada for this type of expense. He said he believes that the program should be “alarming to all Albertans,” while the public system is so underfunded.
“The fact that we're spending public dollars on private schools makes no sense," he said.
@runsmooth Marlaina has been on the voucher method destruction of public education for 20 years
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R relay@relay.infosec.exchange shared this topic
