Defunding independent schools was never going to fly in Alberta

The petition to defund independent schools failed. Alberta parents sent a clear message: don’t touch our schools

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Parents across Alberta are breathing a sigh of relief. The citizen initiative petition asking whether Alberta should defund independent schools failed. It finished more than 50,000 signatures short of the required number, so it will not move forward to a referendum.

Why did this petition fail?

Simply put, parents want educational options for their children. Many already have children enrolled in varied school environments, and regardless of their current school, parents want to know that there are alternatives if and when their child needs them.

Cardus recently undertook a polling project, asking Albertans’ thoughts about education.

Forty-five per cent of families currently use some type of educational option, whether that’s a French, Catholic or alternative public school, an independent or charter school, or home education.

This is important because defunding independent schools would never have been the endgame: petition organizers admitted that homeschooled students could also be affected. Meanwhile, there have been numerous conversations within Alberta and across Canada about defunding or eliminating Francophone education, Catholic public schools and charter schools.

Equally importantly, 47 per cent of parents have actively considered sending their children to an independent or charter school, or homeschooling them. These parents recognize that a threat to one educational option is a threat to all of them. They are not keen to see options for their children reduced.

Ultimately, the petition’s failure is a victory for students. Children are unique human beings who need unique supports and environments. And the public recognizes this: nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of Albertans support public funding for children with special needs who attend an independent school. Forty-five per cent agree that children from low-income families should have public funds follow them to an independent school, and 42 per cent agree with the same policy for middle-income students.

Yet society benefits from such funding as well. Consider what decades of research have shown about the role of diverse school environments in creating good citizens. Who volunteers the most? Independent school and homeschool graduates. Who is most likely to donate to charity? Independent school graduates. The least likely to suffer from depression and anxiety? Homeschool grads. Who has the most diverse circle of friends? Specifically, graduates of Catholic independent schools. Which schools are improving results and closing socioeconomic gaps for minorities like Black and Hispanic students the most? Charter schools.

Alberta’s mixed educational system provides options to meet students where they are and offers them different pathways to success. This is the best way to educate graduates who are ready to be happy, healthy and productive citizens, employees and family members.

Let’s also remember that the vast majority (88 per cent) of independent school families are not wealthy, but rather make extensive sacrifices to afford tuition. Alberta’s partial funding for independent schools covers 70 per cent of their per-student costs and none of their expenses for buildings or other infrastructure. Pulling that funding would mean many parents could no longer afford to send their kids to the learning environment that they may have spent years finding.

Alberta’s leadership on innovation and choice in education is a well-earned and long-held reputation, and it delivers results. It’s not a coincidence that Alberta’s pluralist education system regularly ranks second in international assessments.

Albertans recognize this. Two-thirds (67 per cent) agree that “all students should have government-funded access to the type of education that best suits their individual needs”, and that diversity in the system is a known positive: 42 per cent say that Alberta’s charter and independent schools play an important role in meeting student needs.

So, what now?

Alberta’s independent school enrollment has grown 30 per cent in the past five years; charter enrollment is up 54 per cent in the same period. Rather than seeing that as a threat, Albertans recognize that educational diversity is part of the solution to many of the problems facing the K-12 system.

This is no time to retreat. Rather, it’s time to double down. The petition’s failure means that the demand for educational options is real and deserves attention.

Alberta’s government should be bold, visionary and creative in response. This is an opportunity to pursue an ever-more supportive policy environment that will offer and fund more learning choices, not fewer.

Catharine Kavanagh is western stakeholder director at Cardus, a non-partisan think tank.