Early Childhood Services

Perhaps the loudest public outcry to provincial cuts stems from the 50 percent cut to ECS (or kindergarten) funding, undoubtedly because of the wide range and numbers of families affected: 11,300 children were enrolled in ECS in the Calgary school system in 1993-94, and 40,569 children were enrolled in the province as a whole. In Calgary, the public board has responded by imposing a user fee of $466 on parents of children in ECS programs; parents whose children attend Catholic schools will be asked to pay $450.

The cuts to ECS raise a couple of issues that particularly impact on women. First, as the majority of ECS teachers are women, cuts to programs will affect women's employment. Second, although the Calgary Board has agreed to waive the fee in cases of financial hardship, it is acknowledged that many people will not ask for this assistance but will simply not enroll their children in the program. Indeed, cuts to ECS combined with the provincial cuts to daycare subsidies could place an enormous burden on women, who are most often the primary care givers. Undoubtedly, more women will be forced to stay home due to the increasing costs of childcare and ECS.

Amalgamation of School Boards

The number of school boards in Alberta is to be reduced from approximately 140 to 60 in 1995-96. In addition, the business plan originally called for an amendment to the School Act to allow the : province to collect all education taxes and to then re-allocate them in a (geographically) equitable manner. A challenge from Catholic schools spurred the government to strike a deal that permits Catholic schools to opt out of this arrangement and to continue to retain some local control. This prompted the Alberta School Boards Association and the Public School Boards Association to launch court challenges against the province over this matter.

Some educators and trustees worry that the "tax grab" by the province will take away the power of various stakeholder groups and will give the government total control over education. Others see this move as another step toward a system of "choice" in education where funding follows the student. This would be similar to the British voucher system where schools can opt out of the Local Education Authority (school board) and receive funding directly from the national Department of Education. While the amalgamation of school boards is generally supported, there is the distinct possibility that cuts in education administration will reverse recent gains made by women into this traditionally male bastion.

Charter School Legislation

The intention of the Charter school legislation, recently created by Alberta Education, is to introduce some flexibility and competition into the public system. Bill 19 amended the School Act to allow the Minister of Education, or school boards, to establish Charter schools run by a "society, company or provincial corporation." Although Bill 19 lays out format requirements for Charter schools (for example, they cannot charge fees above those charged by school boards, they must be non-sectarian, etc.) there is a concern that education in this province is moving to competition: between children and between schools for children.

An ESL teacher suggests that Charter schools, along with other aspects of restructuring, will perpetuate an education system characterized that is further divided along race and class lines. She and other critics are concerned about how Charter school legislation will be implemented, and particularly how and by whom such schools will be regulated. These concerns generally stem from a suspicion about the motives of Charter school advocates.

For example, it is suggested that supporters of Bill 19 are seeking a greater homogeneity in schools along lines of religion, class, ethnic origin, etc.), and that groups of "like-minded" parents will get together to start a school. This is not far-fetched scenario given that one of the first discussions about starting a Charter school in Calgary has involved parents who are followers of Joe Freedman (a "back-to-basics" reformer in Alberta) who look forward to developing a school to promote their common philosophies and values.