Should Alberta fund private schools? Petition could trigger vote

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As Alberta teachers remain on strike, a citizen-led campaign is pushing for a public referendum on education funding — specifically, whether taxpayer money should continue going to private schools.

The proposed question was approved by Elections Alberta on Tuesday, clearing the way for organizers to begin collecting signatures.

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The official question reads, “Should the government of Alberta end its current practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent (private) schools?”

Organizers will have 120 days to collect enough signatures to support their petition under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.

To succeed, it needs signatures from at least 10 per cent of the people who voted in the last provincial election, which means more than 177,000 Albertans will need to support it.

If Elections Alberta confirms the goal was met, the petition then goes to the Speaker of the Legislature.

From there, MLAs will decide whether to create a new policy or send the question back to Elections Alberta for a provincewide vote.

Public education funding has been a central issue during the teachers’ strike, with the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) criticizing the province’s funding structure.

“The public system is starved right now for funding,” said ATA president Jason Schilling. “But private education is not.”

The province argues private options relieve pressure on public classrooms.

“What’s the most reasonable way to get more kids in classroom with reasonable class sizes? You know, some of those, alternative paths definitely take pressure off the public system as well,” said Finance Minister Nate Horner.

A 2022 report by the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta found the province spent more than $314 million on private schools.

The ATA claims the figure is actually closer to $461 million.

The report also notes Alberta education grants are provided to accredited funded private schools at a rate of 70 per cent, which makes private school funding in Alberta the highest in Canada.

At the same time, a recent Fraser Institute report shows Alberta’s per-student public education spending is the lowest in the country, at just under $13,500 per student.

Strike negotiations stalled

The petition drive comes as negotiations between the province and the teachers’ union remain stalled.

Premier Danielle Smith said this week that back-to-work legislation could be introduced after the legislature resumes on Oct. 23, if no progress is made.

More information about the petition can be found on elections.ab.ca.

With files from Jacqueline Wilson