School’s out for the summer this week but recent debates on the educational front suggest we’re in need of a lesson ourselves.
As an eye-opening piece by the National Observers’ Sandy Garossino pointed out, those who can afford private school are apparently eligible to write off a portion of the fees that cover lunch and recess time as “child care” expenses on their taxes – even for teenagers up to 16.
And although they’re far from accessible to everyone, private schools continue to receive per-pupil operating grants at up to 50 per cent of the level handed out to public schools. That taxpayer-funded subsidy comes to about $300 million annually at a time when public schools are facing closure around the province.
It’s a policy that a recent poll suggested most British Columbians don’t support.
Education Minister Mike Bernier defends the subsidy as providing choices for parents. He also made the point that in the public school system, the province pays for 100 per cent of capital costs.
Yet if that were the case, our local school board wouldn’t have to sell off school lands to fund replacement schools that make sense, or lease a number of closed former public school properties to private schools to bolster operating revenue.
If public funding were adequate, parents across the province wouldn’t have to fundraise for everything from computers to playground equipment, once considered an essential part of public education.
Before the next class graduates, we need to re-think the lesson plan on what’s considered fair funding for our schools because right now, we’re undermining public education while sheltering the private system.
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