Alicia Taylor, a high school chemistry educator in Calgary, is pushing for a referendum in Alberta to determine whether public funding for independent schools should be discontinued. Taylor expressed her concern over the disproportionate allocation of funds between private and public schools in the province.
Recently, Elections Alberta approved Taylor’s initiative petition, allowing her to start collecting signatures on October 14. The petition question asks whether the Alberta government should cease using public funds to support accredited independent (private) schools.
The move by Taylor was met with disappointment by the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta (AISCA), a non-profit organization backing the province’s independent schools. John Jagersma, the executive director of AISCA, criticized the lack of dialogue and context in the public petition process.
Under the Citizen Initiative Act, Taylor has 120 days to gather signatures amounting to 10% of the voters from the last provincial general election. This equates to over 177,000 signatures based on the previous election turnout.
If Elections Alberta deems Taylor’s petition successful, it will be passed to the legislature’s Speaker for further consideration. The provincial government’s recent adjustments to referendum petition requirements motivated Taylor to take action, along with the ongoing push for the Forever Canadian petition.
The ongoing province-wide strike involving 51,000 teachers has brought education funding issues to the forefront. Critics argue that the current funding levels do not keep up with population growth and inflation, leading to overcrowded classrooms and inadequate resources.
Despite the increase in enrollment at independent schools over the past five years, concerns persist about the amount of public funding being directed towards these institutions. Independent school advocates fear becoming scapegoats for broader frustrations about education funding in Alberta.
Supporters of the petition believe that public funds should be prioritized for the needs of all learners within the public education system. They argue that the growth in funding for independent schools surpasses that of public schools and call for increased awareness on the issue of public funding allocation.
The debate surrounding education funding in Alberta continues to intensify, with stakeholders on all sides advocating for a fair and equitable distribution of resources to support the diverse needs of students across the education system.