Education critic Leela Aheer spoke to a crowd of roughly 20 on the Wildrose’s concerns with the NDP’s curriculum review and the push by special interest groups to cease funding to independent schools.
The Chestermere-Rocky View MLA said the NDP needs to provide more clarity on its stance regarding the push made by advocacy group Special Interest Alberta and 13 other education and labour organizations to phase out public funding to independent schools over the next three years.
The advocacy group has been clear on its stance that public tax dollars should go toward public schools – but some feel this is an unfair limitation of choice for parents that could have a detrimental impact.
According to Banff-Cochrane NDP MLA Cameron Westhead, the party has no current plans to back the advocacy group’s push to cut independent school funding.
“The funding model for all schools has not changed since our government was elected and there are no plans to make any changes to the funding model at this time,” said Westhead.
“Alberta’s education system has a number of delivery methods – including public and separate schools, charter schools, private schools and home education – that allow parents to select the method they feel will best ensure their child’s success.”
The proposed funding cuts make exception for schools catering to children with special needs. In 2016, independent schools received $248 million in funding.
Public funding works out to around $5,100 per student in the independent system and $13,000 per student in the public system per year.
Critics of the push to cut funding say that it’s obvious that it would impose a much heavier burden on the taxpayer to take students out of the independent school system and put them in the public system.
“I happen to own a school in Cochrane – an independent school,” said Shauna Hay, owner of Cochrane Valley Montessori, who began upstairs at the Bragg Creek Centre with three kids and now has 19 students at the Cochrane school and an additional 15 under her supervision in Calgary.
“If our children do not get the funding they deserve ... I can’t operate without that,” said Hay, confirming that her doors would be forced to close.
Teresa Spurgeon is a Cochrane mother of two boys, eight-year-old Keaton and five-year-old Hudson, who both attend Cochrane Valley Montessori.
Spurgeon said it is critical to maintain the funding for schools that provide parents choice and that both her boys – her eldest who is on the autism spectrum and has attention deficit hyperactive disorder – have thrived through the Montessori program.
“Montessori allows children to progress as far as their minds will take them, not just the standard-set grade curricula,” explained Spurgeon, adding that the individual needs of a child are tailored to throughout the program – from learning style to environment without compromising the core subject material.
“If funding is cut, many opportunities will be lost to those children who wouldn’t ever be able to see or reach their own potential through the rigid, traditional learning system.”
Aheer is also concerned over the perceived lack of transparency regarding the curriculum review – what unity backer and PC leadership candidate Jason Kenney has referred to as “social engineering.”
“The Wildrose was not asked to be a part of the curriculum review,” said Aheer, adding, “They’re not allowing us to know the associations (involved)” and chastising the government for not inviting parent groups to the table.
The Wildrose asserts, “The curriculum review must provide assurances on standardized testing and a focus on literacy and math.”
“We believe in local authority decision-making,” said the education critic, emphasizing that it’s a red flag that Education Minister David Eggen has not released a list of groups involved in the curriculum rewrite.
Eggen’s office has reported to media they are concerned about potential harassment of individuals involved in the rewrite and that the release of names is only serving political agendas. The office is working on information to release more information about the groups involved.
