Warning of a ‘crisis' in public education as parents rally at B.C. legislature
Parents frustrated with what they say is a 'crisis' in British Columbia's public education system took their message to the B.C. legislature on Monday.
The rally, organized by a group called B.C. Families for Public Education and parent advisory councils from several B.C. communities, say the public school system is chronically underfunded, with students paying the price.
'This has been a long time coming, way too long,' said Anne Whitmore, chair of the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council.
'We are calling on the government to prioritize our children. To prioritize the people who support them, to prioritize the people who teach them … and to prioritize their future, which is our future.'
Parents point to overcrowded classrooms, cuts to programs and insufficient supports for students with learning challenges or complex needs.
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2:18
Parents and students protesting budget cuts at Surrey schools
They highlighted the Surrey School District's $16-million shortfall, which led to the elimination of the Grade 7 band program and 50 education assistant positions, as well as cuts to the Head Start preschool programs.
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'We are underfunded. We are in a deficit in Surrey,' mother of two Gwynn Redlich told Global News.
'They don't have the support they need, especially my younger son — he needs support in his class, and it's just not there for him. Grade 7, going into high school next year, and he is going to be struggling next year because he is behind.'
5:05
Surrey Board of Education passes balanced budget despite $16 million shortfall
The groups further argue that public education funding hasn't kept pace with inflation.
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B.C. Education Minister Lisa Beare said she met with the parents on Monday and that she understood their concerns.
She said the province had hiked education funding by $300 million in this year's budget.
'We have increased our per-pupil funding from $9,000 when we formed government to $13,600 per student, so we are continuing to increase. I absolutely hear the increase around inflation, these are very difficult times,' she said.
'This is a difficult fiscal time for everyone. Every single family, every single non-profit, every level of government are facing difficult financial choices in this tough economic environment.'
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