Editor
Calgary Herald
Calgary, Alberta

Dear Sirs,

I used to think that opposition to fairer funding for independent schools was simply due to a lack of information. However, to judge from the contents of two recent articles in the Herald, it appears that it is rooted in prejudice or a desire for power. Catherine Ford opposes funding of independent schools on the basis that they are a luxury for the rich. Surely she is aware that the research done on this question shows that there is very little difference between the incomes of public and independent school parents. If anything, independent school families have lower incomes. Since the vast majority of independent schools are religiously based, I suspect that her virulent opposition stems from the bigotry she consistently displays towards those who have religious convictions. (See her claims regarding the Promise Keepers movement.)

Dale Wallace’s article confirms the presence of prejudice. Mr. Wallace went to Virginia where educators from all over the world told him how terrible things were back home due to those horrible private schools. He could have saved some money and heard the same thing at the local ATA convention. Let’s face it; public school teachers and school boards have never supported independent schools and have a history of blaming them for their problems.

Had Mr. Wallace done his homework adequately he would have uncovered a number of interesting facts about independent schools. First, they have been around a lot longer than public schools, so it seems hardly fair to blame the decline of public education on them. Second, funding of Catholic schools has never led to lower funding for public schools. Third, whenever funding of independent schools in Alberta has increased in the past, it has never led to reduced funding for public schools. The research being done on the issue, strongly supports increased funding of independent schools. (I would refer him to a study done by Andrew Coulson, a researcher with Arizona State University, summarized in an address this summer to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His research is further supported by Nobel prize winner, Milton Friedman, who has recently turned his attention to education reform and argues that societies consistently benefit when education is provided in the context of a free market.

Mr. Wallace never disputes the quality of education offered by independent schools, although it seems to me that quality should be the central issue. In fact, he would appear to endorse the view that independent schools do a better job because he fears that if they receive additional funding it will be the ruination of the public system. I have heard this argument from a number of school board and ATA members. Does this mean they feel the public system is so bad that parents would leave in droves if independent schools had more funding?! Do they really feel that if independent schools were to receive $3800 per student, parents would stampede from the public system where they would get $5400 per student? If this is the case, then it is a shocking admission of the need for the public system to change. I personally think Alberta has a very good public system which would only be improved by a little competition. Certainly some parents would leave, but only those who really want an alternative. If more than a few leave, then the message to the public schools is pretty clear, isn’t it?

Mr. Wallace claims to believe in democracy, but then he goes on to argue that parents who want a choice should have to pay for it. A choice with a financial penalty attached is not much of a choice is it? I agree that if parents choose a more expensive option, then they should pay for it, but what is being proposed is simply that the instructional portion of funding being made available to children in independent schools the same way it is in public schools. This is still $2600 less than that for public schools. If Mr. Wallace wants a truly democratic education system, then he should fight for funding to follow the child. Why restrict independent schools to those who can afford them? What about the poor, the minorities for whom he expressed such concern? Shouldn’t every Albertan have the choice of the best education possible without financial penalty?

Mr. Wallace claims that independent schools lack public accountability. Again, I say, do your homework! Currently every accredited school must meet the goals of education for Alberta. They must follow an approved curriculum. They must hire certified teachers. They must submit budgets and expense reports. They must develop three year plans and submit annual reports. Their students must write the Alberta Achievement Tests and diploma exams. They must abide by the laws of the province regarding incorporated societies, fundraising, etc. Not only that, but they are directly accountable to the parents whose children they educate.

He claims that private schools offer the public nothing in return for their $1815. Incredible! It can be demonstrated without fear of contradiction that the $1815 provided to independent schools is the best investment in education this province ever makes. These schools have demonstrated through initiative, creativity, determination, sacrifice, and educational philosophy their ability to provide an excellent education at a fraction of the cost.

If public schools were really as accountable to the public as Mr. Wallace seems to think they are, there would be no demand for the alternatives. Mr. Wallace claims to value the alternatives, but then goes on to say that private schools should be more like public schools! He misses the point completely! Their value comes from being different! Rather than asking every private school to accept every student regardless of how inappropriate that might be, we should be encouraging the development of more independent schools so that families who cannot currently find an appropriate alternative will have one.

If one wished to investigate, it would become clear that the independent schools’ request for additional funding offers a wonderful opportunity to Alberta. Parents want alternatives. They have paid their taxes and are morally entitled to have that money spent on their children. The United Nations supports this position. History, economics, political science, and sound educational practice support it. Only prejudice or a desire for power can explain the opposition.

Sincerely,

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School

Copyright © 1998/99 Airdrie Koinonia Christian School      Last modified: January 27, 1999