After 15 years and $3.4 billion the Province has come to the conclusion the money they've thrown at reducing class sizes isn't working.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says a report from Alberta Education shows despite the massive amount of money put into the program the number of students from kindergarten to grade three has only dropped by 1.4 students since the 2003/2004 school year.

"Funding earmarked to reduce class sizes in Alberta is not working. Even as overall spending in education continued to grow at a much higher pace than overall growth and inflation."

She says they need to find a better way to address class sizes.

"This was one attempt, obviously it's not working. The NDP felt it was OK to leave it at the status quo. I don't feel it is. I feel that we need to move forward in this particular issue. But obviously spending ever increasing amounts of money is not solving the issue, so how can we better solve that issue."

However, at this time the UCP say they don't have a concrete idea to reduce class sizes, but will instead consult with teachers, teachers unions and others to come up with solutions.

LaGrange was keeping tight lipped over anything budget related though, adding the UCP have no plans to cut education funding and all will be revealed when they release their budget Thursday, October 24.

In a release, the Province highlights some of the reports findings:

•Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes averaged 20.4 students in the 2018-19 school year, compared to 21.8 in 2003-04 (the last year before the Class Size Initiative) and 19.7 in 2004-05 (the first year of the initiative).

•Annual school year funding allocations to the Class Size Initiative started at $90 million in 2004-05, growing to $291 million in 2018-19.

•Targeted class size funding accounts for about four per cent of overall funding provided to school boards.

•The report is based on reviews of school board plans for spending the funding grant, interviews with school board and school leadership staff, a comparison of student and board-level outcome data against class size funding allocations, and a literature review of studies on class size impact on student success.

The report highlights, in general, school jurisdictions view the class size funding model as ineffective, and these dollars should be included with base instruction funding so that jurisdictions have flexibility to use funds to best support their unique needs.

It also identifies that there are many variables in a classroom – besides the number of students – that affect student success.

Bevan Daverne, president, College of Alberta School Superintendents says, “The College of Alberta School Superintendents’ board of directors reviewed the 2019 Class Size Initiative Review and supports the suggestion that class size funding be rolled into base instruction funding, allowing school authorities the flexibility and local autonomy to make decisions to best support students in their respective jurisdictions.”

 

Lorrie Jess, president, Alberta School Boards Association says, “We look forward to working with the minister to find solutions that address how to best meet the increasingly complex learning needs of our students. We are pleased that there is a funding framework review underway, as this is something that school boards have been advocating to government for some time. It is critical that school boards have adequate, long-term, sustainable, and flexible funding.”

“As I make funding decisions, I will be looking through the lens of what is best for our students and what will be most effective in improving student learning. We owe it to parents and children to get better outcomes for the money that is being spent on education.” said Alberta Education Minister, Adriana LaGrange.

The province is working with education stakeholders to review the funding and assurance model for the education system, which will include an examination of the effectiveness of targeted grants such as the Class Size Initiative.

A new funding model is expected to be in place for the 2020-21 school year.

 

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