Parents across B.C. rallied Sunday in support of adequate funding for school boards.
Having survived an acrimonious teachers’ strike, parents are now facing a budget showdown between the provincial government and local school boards.
Several hundred parents turned up outside the Vancouver Art Gallery for a noon rally organized by Families Against Cuts to Education.
“The government is trying to balance the budget on the backs of our kids, while increasing funding to for-profit private schools,” FACE organizer Quinn Donovan told the assembled crowd, many with schoolkids in tow. “I think a lot of people thought with the end of the strike there would be renewed funding for public schools.”
Jing Wang, who sits in on Vancouver School Board meetings as a student trustee, said she’s fighting to help younger students receive the same education she did.
“I’ve been in the public education system since kindergarten, and I got so many opportunities in music, drama and band and strings,” said Wang, 17, who attends Prince of Wales Secondary. “It makes me angry that students in kindergarten now won’t get those same opportunities.”
Nicole Jarvis carried a sign proclaiming, Garage Sale — Public Schools.
“I’m here to support public education,” said Jarvis. “Parents and families have to fundraise for everything. Public education needs to be accessible to students and families from all walks of life.”
Vancouver School Board trustee Patti Bacchus, who has locked horns with the province many times, was encouraged by the fact parents are now stepping into the fray.
“Parents have seen programs being cut, and they’re saying, ‘Enough is enough,’ ” said Bacchus.
B.C. Education Minister Peter Fassbender has challenged local school boards to cut spending, but board members say that after years of pruning away there’s simply no supposed low-hanging fruit to be axed.
In a statement, Fassbender said B.C. has “a world-class education system — it’s well-funded, we have dedicated, talented teachers and administrators, and our students consistently shine on the international stage.”
Fassbender said B.C. will spend more than $5 billion next year on education.
“This is an increase of $1.2 billion compared to 2000-01, all during a period when enrolment has declined by more than 75,000 students. Part of building a great system, and keeping it great, is finding ways to improve. Our continued success relies on embracing this change,” he said.
“I fully appreciate this isn’t always without its challenges, but there’s nothing to be gained by perpetuating a myth that our public education system is underfunded and broken.”
Similar rallies were held Sunday in Victoria, Maple Ridge, Kelowna and Nanaimo.
