Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling has released the following statement in response to Budget 2024:
“Last year we saw what a pre-election budget looks like. Today we see what a post-election budget looks like.
We set out a three-part test to judge this budget:
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Does it fund enrolment growth? Not fully.
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Does it fund inflation? No.
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Does it add extra funding to repair the damages from years of underfunding? No. The budget will still see our students funded the least in all of Canada.
And while public education will see a 4.4 per cent increase, private schools will get 13.5 per cent more next year.
On Tuesday morning, we will provide Albertans with more analysis and information about how the Alberta Teachers’ Association intends to respond to chronic underfunding in education in Alberta.”
—Jason Schilling, ATA president
The ATA will host a news conference on Tuesday, March 5, to provide further analysis of the education budget and unveil a campaign to draw attention to the impacts of chronic underfunding in Alberta schools.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 46,000 members.