Fair funding for B.C. schools before it’s too late

by Nancy Knickerbocker

Despite the many distressing similarities between the education policies of the Harris Tories in Ontario and the B.C. Liberals, it’s not inevitable that British Columbia kids will have to suffer through seven years of strife in their schools, according to Ontario education activist Annie Kidder.

"It’s not too late to change course, but what is vital is that you learn from the mistakes that were made in Ontario," said Kidder.

She was speaking to about 300 teachers, students, parents, support workers, and trustees at a provincial conference on education funding and the impact of the B.C. Liberals’ cuts. Co-sponsored by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, CUPE, and the B.C. Federation of Labour, the conference included representatives from every school district in B.C.

The mother of two, Kidder heads People for Education, an advocacy group that began as an offshoot of the Home and School Association at her children’s school and has grown to include 8,000 members throughout Ontario. Because "hard facts are the best ammunition you’ve got in this fight," People for Education tracked many aspects of the cuts at the classroom level.

"Access to quality public education is the birthright of every child," said Kidder. "The most worrisome effect of the cuts is the growing gap between have and have-not schools, and the new funding formula has made it worse."

She said there has been a 68% increase in schools reporting fundraising for basic supplies and while some schools in wealthy neighbourhoods can raise up to $200,000 a year, others can barely raise a dime. Schools in the top 10% in terms of fundraising generated as much as the bottom 75%.

Kidder quoted the renowned educator Ursula Franklin, who challenged People for Education activists with this question: "What do you do after you’ve taken a dim view?" Franklin encouraged them not to indulge in "awfulizing."

"You’ve got to advocate for something, not just talk about how horrid things are," Kidder said.

She encouraged teachers to defend public education without getting defensive in the face of legitimate critique. "Our government attacked the teachers relentlessly, and it undermined education, so teachers’ impulse was to defend the system at all costs. But we all know there are things that need to improve," she said.

Kidder noted that while our education ministries set standards for student achievement and standards for curriculum, there are no standards for the level and kind of services students need. To fill that gap, People for Education recently began a campaign with the slogan "In life there are no guarantees. In education, there should be."

They’ve printed thousands of postcards calling on Premier Ernie Eves to guarantee basic necessities such as adequate textbooks and supplies, reasonable class sizes, a teacher-librarian in every school, special education services with not more than three months wait, clean facilities in good repair, and so on.

Kidder insisted it is crucial for educators and concerned citizens to advocate most vigorously for the students who are most vulnerable. She described the crisis in special education as "the canary in the coal mine." At present, 40,000 Ontario students with special needs are on wait lists for assessment, and 55% fewer schools have access to the services of a school psychologist.

She suggested that the erosion of our strong, universal, and free public education system is due to "collective amnesia" about the key role of public education as a cornerstone of our democratic tradition. "It’s what made us who we are as Canadians."

In his speech, BCFed President Jim Sinclair echoed Kidder’s concerns about the growing disparity of educational opportunity between rich and poor, rural and urban schools. He said the struggle against the Liberal agenda will define us in profound ways.

"We’re not only fighting over money for schools; we’re fighting over who we are as a province and as a people," Sinclair said. He called on delegates to "take down the barriers between us and put children first."

BCTF President Neil Worboys said he feels "a new awakening of energy on the education scene and a new sense of possibilities, despite the tough reality we’re facing."

"When called upon to defend such a worthy cause as our public school system, people throughout B.C. have come together around our public schools and organized in many new ways," he said. "At the core has been our deep commitment to a strong and stable public education system that builds success for every student."

To raise awareness about the impact of cutting more than 2,000 teachers and $210 million from the B.C. school system, the BCTF launched the Caravan Against the Cuts. Five school buses will travel the province, visiting every school district and collecting impact statements from students, teachers, parents, and other community members. They will deliver the information to Education Minister Christy Clark on the first day of the new legislative session.

Greater Victoria School Board Chair Charley Beresford said that because of chronic underfunding, services in schools have been cut to the bone. "If public education is likened to the skeleton, we’ve been leaching calcium for so long, we’re in danger of breaking something in the course of daily events," she said.

Beresford urged everyone present to "work collectively, and raise your voices together." When trustees, teachers, parents, and students speak out together, positive change can be the result. For example, she pointed to the hot lunch program that was saved from the chopping block--although for only one year. "I invite everyone in our education community to join us as we fight for ongoing funding," she said.

Indeed, the gathering did inspire common purpose and unity as people came together in small groups to strategize around issues specific to their home communities and neighbourhood schools.

Education funding issues in B.C.: bctf.ca/action/cuts/EdFunding

People for Education in Ontario: peopleforeducation.com

Nancy Knickerbocker is the BCTF’s media relations officer.