Alberta’s 31st legislature began on Oct. 30 with a speech from the throne and ran until Dec. 7. Here is a summary of the education-related discussions that took place in question period from Nov. 24. to Dec. 7.
Education funding
Nov. 27 – Heather Sweet (NDP–Edmonton-Manning) raised concerns about school overcrowding in north Edmonton, emphasizing the strain on students’ access to education in their communities. The minister of education acknowledged the challenges, highlighted preplanning funding for a new school in the region, and committed to working with the school division. Sweet challenged the factual accuracy of the minister’s response, criticized the insufficient funding increase and highlighted the community’s efforts to fundraise for a playground. The minister defended the government’s commitment to supporting school divisions, provided information on available funding, and emphasized the expansion of schools in growing communities.
Dec. 5 – Jacqueline Lovely (UCP–Camrose) asked the minister of education how the government is supporting increasing enrolment growth. The education minister stated that the government has provided an in-year investment of an additional $30 million to help school divisions address enrolment pressures.
Dec. 5 – Kathleen Ganley (NDP–Calgary-Mountain View) stated that Alberta is the richest province in the country, yet the UCP government provides the lowest per-student funding in the country and asked the education minister whether he thinks our kids deserve better.
The minister responded that the government is concerned about enrolment growth and pressures, and wants to ensure students receive a world-class education. He stated that he’d recently announced $30 million in additional funding to help school divisions hire additional teachers, educational assistants and other staff. He added that, starting this school year, 1,200 new teachers have joined Alberta school divisions along with more than 450 educational assistants.
Dec. 6 – Rakhi Pancholi (NDP–Edmonton-Whitemud) stated that Alberta’s classrooms are bursting at the seams, and enrolment growth shows no sign of slowing down, and asked the education minister when he will prioritize long-term, stable investment in public education instead of relying on temporary and inefficient stopgaps.
The minister responded that the government does engage in long-term planning, and has increased education funding from $8.2 billion to $8.8 billion in the last four years. He added that the in-year injection of $30 million will help school boards.
Pancholi followed up by stating that the $30 million is too little, too late and mentioned that the ATA has been seeking data-driven accountability and decision-making since 2019, but the UCP government has yet to engage with the ATA in good faith and continues to rely on a funding model that does not fund every student in rapidly growing communities.
The minister responded that the funding model is working and that, after being named education minister, his first meeting was with the ATA. He said he had further meetings scheduled with the ATA and that his ministry meets with all of their partners to hear their priorities.
Health, education and social supports
Dec. 4 – Janis Irwin (NDP–Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood) suggested that the government’s surplus could be truly transformational in the lives of Albertans and urged additional spending on health, education and social supports. With respect to education, Irwin accused the UCP government of imposing deep cuts on the education system, resulting in ballooning class sizes, and suggested that the government could be using the budget surplus to build much-needed schools and hire staff. Irwin urged the minister to fully fund the education system in the next budget.
The education minister responded that the government recognizes that many school divisions are facing challenges. He attributed many of the challenges to surging population growth. He said the government will do the work that’s necessary to ensure Alberta continues to deliver a world-class education system.
School class sizes
Nov. 27 – Amanda Chapman (NDP–Calgary-Beddington) raised concerns about widespread school overcrowding and introduced Bill 202 for education class composition reporting. The minister of education emphasized the government’s commitment to expanding schools, addressing complex classrooms and providing resources for growth. Chapman highlighted specific instances of overcrowding and urged support for the bill. The minister defended the government’s focus on modernizing facilities and addressing classroom challenges, dismissing the need for additional reporting requirements.
Public-private partnerships for school construction
Nov. 29 – Jasvir Deol (NDP–Edmonton-Meadows) expressed concerns about the use of public-private partnerships (P3s) for school construction, citing past failures in other provinces. The minister of infrastructure defended the use of P3s, emphasizing their proven success globally, increased efficiency, innovation and improved quality. Deol continued to criticize P3s, pointing to issues in Saskatchewan and Alberta’s harsh climate, questioning the minister’s commitment to student safety. The minister of infrastructure countered, highlighting Alberta’s successful track record with P3s, ongoing projects, job creation and the obligation to seek the best value for taxpayers’ money.
School construction in Chestermere–Strathmore
Nov. 29 – Chantelle De Jonge (UCP—Chestermere–Strathmore) raised concerns about the lack of new schools in Chestermere despite its significant population growth. The minister of education assured her that projects, including a new K–9 school and a K–9 school with modular units, are in progress. The minister emphasized the importance of modulars for immediate space needs and mentioned that requests for the ’24–25 year have been submitted. De Jonge sought a timeline for new developments in Chestermere, and the minister encouraged residents to await budget updates in the spring for project advancements.
School construction in northeast Calgary
Nov. 30 – Gurinder Brar (NDP–Calgary-North East) expressed concerns about the delayed construction of schools in Redstone, northeast Calgary, emphasizing the long wait for essential facilities. The education minister defended the government’s commitment to building schools, mentioning the approval of 11 projects for Calgary in the last budget cycle. Brar continued to press for a timeline for actual school construction in Redstone. The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to building schools in growing communities, highlighting the approval of 98 school projects over the past four years and inviting further dialogue with northeast Calgary residents.
School construction capital plan
Dec. 6 – Court Ellingson (NDP–Calgary-Foothills) asked the education minister why Budget 2023 included a 2.5 per cent increase in capital spending while student enrolment rose by 3.3 per cent. He stated that this level of investment allowed for only 13 schools to be built across the entire province.
The education minister responded that building schools is a top priority for the government. He stated that, over the course of the past four years, the government has moved forward on 98 school projects across the province. ❚
