Who will defend public education?
Years of underfunding has resulted in crisis, says Maggie Milne Martens.
As the provincial election looms, the future of public education remains perilously uncertain.
Persistent underfunding has eroded our public education system to a breaking point, yet this stark reality is obscured by rhetorical sleight of hand, allegations of blame and “alternative facts.” Where are the political leaders with the courage and conviction to give more than lip service to the value of public education and make a real financial investment in B.C.’s future?
Finance Minister Mike de Jong has said that education “is the most important service government provides.” He’s right. A strong and equitable public education system is the cornerstone of a prosperous economy and healthy democracy. Unfortunately, Budget 2017 is insufficient to provide all children in B.C. with the quality public education they’re entitled to under law.
The increase of $740 million for operational funding over the next three years is the bare minimum that government must do to avoid being in contempt of court or in contravention of its own per-pupil funding formula.
Certainly, the additional funds promised to implement the Supreme Courtordered restoration of class size and composition language will begin to redress untenable classroom conditions and improve teacher ratios for students with special learning needs. However, this begrudged concession won’t solve the funding crisis facing public education.
Given that the basic per-pupil funding hasn’t increased to match inflation, school districts across B.C. will once again need to cut vital educational services and supports to cover downloaded costs and balance their budgets, as required by law.
Last November, the B.C. School Trustees Association advised government that an estimated $96 million in additional funding would be required just to maintain educational services at their current levels.
Budget 2017 doesn’t address the many other defi- cits that have accrued from decades of underfunding.
It doesn’t provide supports for the tens of thousands of children designated with special needs.
It doesn’t provide relief for children living in poverty.
It doesn’t address billions of dollars in deferred maintenance on buildings that are below provincial health and safety standards.
It doesn’t restore the staff or resources necessary to support arts education in elementary schools.
It doesn’t allow high schools to offer the full range of core and elective courses.
And it doesn’t fund the millions of dollars in technology, educational resources, teaching equipment and basic supplies and furniture that school districts now rely on parent fundraising and charitable donations to provide.
In B.C., one in five schoolaged children live in poverty and are disproportionately from recent immigrant, aboriginal or single parent families. Their families can’t afford the basic school supply fee, let alone the thousands of dollars to pay for what’s been systematically eliminated from the public school system.
The failure to adequately fund public education across the full curriculum for all learners results in discrimination of educational opportunity, which violates the principle of equity at the very heart of public education.
The government’s own Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and the recent citizen input survey for Budget 2017 both overwhelmingly indicated that K-12 education was the top funding priority for British Columbians. It’s outrageous that a government can choose to disregard the priorities of its citizens.
A high-quality public education system is neither a luxury nor a drain on taxpayer resources: it’s why we pay taxes.
Public education is a primary investment in the sustainability and future prosperity of our economy, as well as a just, tolerant and democratic society for all.
We must all do our part as citizens to hold government accountable and defend the value of public education against the forces that threaten to dismantle it.