Dear Editor,
As a grade 12 student, I feel obligated to voice my concerns regarding the article recently published in the Barrhead Leader, entitled “End public funding to private schools” by Doug Neuman.
Being nearly finished high school, I am contemplating where to go for university. In Edmonton alone we have some major options such as the University of Alberta, Grant McEwen, Kings, etc. As a graduate, I am truly thankful for the opportunity to choose an institution which best reflects and endorses my personal values and beliefs. Should we then have one major university to which all people who want to attend further education have to go? However, we live in a multicultural society which promotes diversity. Parents should also have the choice on whether or not to send their children to the public school or to a private institution.
Doug Neuman asked, “Why is money going to private institutions that might not uphold the values of the public and separate school systems?” Does that mean then that everyone must have the exact same values as the public schools have, that is secular humanism? Perhaps a child has special needs and requires care that the public schools could not provide. Many other parents want their children to go to a faith based school that reflects their values and beliefs. Also, it is possible a child is extremely gifted in a certain area. Thus his/her parents desire to send them to a private school in order to work on strengthening their talents in a way a public system would not be able to. What about those who are in the Francophone communities and want their child in a private school which reflects their background? In addition, everyone (including those who send their children to private schools) have to pay taxes to the government. In return the government supports a variety of services for the general public, including education. Why should the government not support independent schools if the parents sending their children to private institutions pay taxes as well? It would not be the parent’s suffering from the loss of government aid but their children’s education.
The discussion of equality amongst tax-payers leads to another point based on money. Doug Neuman states clearly in his article that money is a major issue. What he does not realize or point out is that the private schools of Alberta are saving the government money. Last year the government made cuts in the school budget and while the public school budget was cut by 2.5 per cent, the private schools’ budget was cut nearly 10 per cent. The Association of Independent Schools and Colleges of Alberta reveals that on average the government is spending only 35 per cent of the money to send one child to the private school while our parents have to pay the remaining 65 per cent. However, the government pays the full 100 per cent per student attending public school. If “money is a near-constant challenge” then it would be the wiser choice to promote private schools. The $178 million dollars that Alberta Education spends on private schools would be needed, plus a great deal more if all those children in private schools would be thrown into the public system.
It is also assumed by many, with which Doug Neuman seems to agree, that those who send their children to private schools are wealthy enough to afford the extra costs. On the contrary, AISCA states that “more than seventy per cent are from families whose household income falls below the national average.” Most private schools are not run by rich men and women, but those who are dedicated and committed to sending their children to a private school and thus are willing to pay the extra costs. There are a multitude of reasons to have private schools not only in Alberta, but everywhere in Canada. I hope people will come to realize the importance there is in having independent schools and that their support from the government should be encouraged.
Rebecca Froma
