November 6, 2002

Ballooning Class Sizes

It was one thing for government to use words like "protect" and "enshrine" last spring but since classes resumed in September, parents can see first hand what those words mean. Classes in excess of thirty are too easy to find. What is less obvious, except to the teachers and students, is that those large classes also include unlimited numbers of special needs students.

Education Minister Christy Clark's letter to the Province (published November 4th) included a particularly deceptive sentence. She wrote "In fact, our government has increased education funding by $20 million this year to more than $4.8 billion, despite the fact that the number of students in B.C. schools is continuing to decline." Clark has acknowledged elsewhere that the $20 million was just to cover the 50% increase in MSP premiums that government imposed as a cost on the school boards. According to the Ministry of Education's Annual Report for 2001-02, public school enrollment was 632,024 and enrollment was 59,951 in private schools. Compared to 2000-01, that is a decrease of 2,531 in public schools and an increase of 208 in private schools. Next year the decrease in public school enrollment is also expected to be less than one half of one percent. Costs are expected to rise by much more than one half of one percent so, with a frozen budget, classes will grow even larger next year.

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September 9, 2002

Minister Clark Ducks and Weaves

Since Finance Minister Gary Collins tabled his budget in February, Education Minister Christy Clark has been claiming that her government increased funding for education. In fact the increase was less than $20 million on a base of $4.86 billion (less than one half of one percent). Speaking on CKNW's Rafe Mair show on September 6th Minister Clark responded to a caller by saying "The Minister of Finance added $20 million to the education budget this year specifically to cover MSP payments." Her answer was refreshing since she frequently neglects to mention that the $20 million was an adjustment made necessary by her government's 50% increase in MSP premiums.

Clark repeatedly claims that the Campbell government has protected education. The word "protect" means to prevent something from being harmed or damaged. BC's education system has certainly not been protected by the actions of Minister Clark and the Campbell government. When asked on the Rafe Mair show about young children from Wells Barkerville having to ride two hours a day on a school bus, Clark said that her task force on rural education will report to her on January 15th on how to make sure education is available for kids in rural communities. Clark has learned the lesson that when in trouble one way to delay is to appoint a committee. While Clark is delaying, young children from Wells Barkerville will be riding the bus for hours in the dark on winter roads (or staying at home for home schooling). The Minister has failed to protect education for those and many other children.

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September 6, 2002

Less Time for Students

The approach taken by the Campbell government in reducing services is based on its secret core review. None of the evaluations or rationalizations for the decisions that flowed from the review is public. The idea behind the review is to eliminate anything that uses resources without being part of government's core functions. Now parents will see how teachers apply that same kind of decision making to manage their limited time - eliminate the extracurricular.

Everyone is limited by having only 24 hours in their day, and when work loads increase something has to go. Many teachers throughout the province have discovered that they have larger class sizes. The length of class time has not increased so it automatically follows that each student will receive less personal attention during class. Outside of class teachers will have more marking and more students asking for help. One way of coping with that pressure will be to stop sponsoring clubs, to stop supervising sports and to stop field trips. Some teachers will stop those voluntary activities because they are still mad at Education Minister Christy Clark. Others will stop those activities because they are forced to choose between having some time for their own families or sacrificing their family time in order to continue to volunteer at school.

Whatever the reason, students in BC will not have the same quality of school experience that was available before the New Era.