Public schools well funded
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Updated: July 15, 2009 4:23 PM
I would like to respond to a letter written by the president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation in the NewsLeader July 8 regarding education funding in B.C.
Like all sectors in B.C., school districts will have to make tough decisions in order to manage through challenging economic times.
But our government demonstrated its commitment to students by maintaining education funding at its highest level in provincial history despite declining enrolment in most school districts and the global economic downturn.
For example, the New Westminster school district has received a boost in operational funding every year over the last nine years, to an estimated $50.5 million in 2009-10. That is an increase of nearly 43 per cent, up more than $15.1 million since 2000-01, while enrolment over the same time period has increased by about 400 students, or 6.6 per cent.
The facts speak for themselves—that 99 per cent of our classes have fewer than 32 students, that total funding for students with special needs is higher than ever before, and that we continue to fully fund the negotiated wage settlements that were reached with union members in 2006—which has directly benefited classroom teachers.
Finally, we recognize these are challenging and changing times for every level of government, including school districts. We need to find ways to make the additional dollars we are providing work for students in the classroom.
Margaret MacDiarmid
Minister of Education
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