Teachers demand funding hike to reduce class sizes

The Alberta Teachers’ Association is demanding funding to reduce class sizes in Thursday ’s provincial budget, pointing to a recent poll that shows the support of 80 per cent of Albertans.

“To know so many Albertans share the concerns teachers share with me on a regular basis is heartening and disheartening at the same time,” said ATA President Greg Jeffery, adding that he wants the NDP government to take immediate action in Thursday’s budget.

"Having that support is great, but Alberta should not be in this position to begin with. Teaching and learning conditions in the province are deteriorating, and funding to address important issues is needed and needed now.”

A recent poll conducted by Environics Research shows 80 per cent of Albertans support increased funding to reduce class sizes, and nearly 90 per cent support funding to provide aid to English language learners and students with special needs.

Jonathan Teghtmeyer, ATA communications co-ordinator, added that years of funding that has not kept up with student population growth has resulted in the province being short at least 3,000 teachers, and proposed hiring at least 2,000 right away.

“We need 2,000 new teachers in the next school year,” Teghtmeyer said, estimating that would cost the province around $200 million.

When asked whether that kind of an increase to the province’s operating budget is realistic, he replied:

“Is it realistic to expect another generation of students to go through their education in classes that are too large?

“Too many students are falling through the cracks.” Among the poll’s key findings are: 80 per cent of Albertans supported increasing education funding to reduce class sizes, including 50 per cent that strongly support doing so.

Nearly 90 per cent of Albertans said they would support increasing funding for special needs and English language learners, including 55 per cent that strongly support doing so.

86 per cent of Albertans agreed that provincewide standards for maximum classroom sizes are needed.

80 per cent of Albertans now express some level of concern about the level of in-class supports for students with special needs and English language learners.

The Environics poll comes just weeks after the auditor general’s report last month, which said the province has failed to monitor spending on its multibillion-dollar funding program to reduce class sizes.

Since setting a provincial guideline of 17 students in K-3 classrooms through the Alberta Commission on Learning in 2003, the province has spent up to $2.7 billion to reduce class sizes, including $293 million in the 2017-18 budget.

But local districts such as the Calgary Board of Education have reported numbers as large as 24 in some K-3 classrooms.

And with provincial initiatives to reduce class sizes pared down from targeting K-6 classrooms in 2004 to only K-3 by 2011, critics have also wondered why the province continues to diminish what needs to be a higher priority.

“Students in oversized classes today need to see real improvements in the education budget this Thursday,” Jeffery said.