A Grade 2 class at Webster Niblock in Medicine Hat sing a song to start the day in this October 2023 file photo. The Alberta Teachers Association has launched phase 2 of an ad campaign urging more per-student funding in Alberta classrooms.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
As the new school year is underway the Alberta Teachers Association has launched the second phase of its media advertising campaign targeted at informing Albertans of the province’s lack of educational funding per student, which ranks the lowest in Canada according to Statistics Canada.
The campaign called ‘Stop the Excuses’ was founded last year with a series of advertisements and the creation of the website stoptheexcuses.ca.
In a new 30-second video commercial released by the ATA, students seek to deliver that message to all Albertans, including those who may not currently have children in school, with a single message – “The Least.”
“It’s important that all of Alberta knows that we’re the least funded jurisdiction in all of Canada,” says Jason Schilling, ATA president. “Because our students are the ones who are bearing the brunt of that, along with their teachers and their families.”
According to the campaign Alberta ranked the lowest in per student operating expenses in the 2020/21 school year at $11,601. Quebec ranked at the top at $15,116 per student.
“It’s to start a conversation about the priorities of Alberta focusing on the education of our students,” explains Schilling. “We need to ensure that they’re getting the best possible future, and right now with the chronic underfunding within the system, the government is failing that responsibility and that’s going to be part of their shameful legacy.”
The online campaign also cites results from the Perceptions of Education in Alberta Survey conducted in last fall, which suggests 68 per cent of Albertans would like to see more education funding, and 72 per cent think class sizes are too large.
“I’m talking to my colleagues right now and they’re saying that they’ve never seen their classes this big,” says Schilling. “They’ve never seen such a mix of complex needs that students are bringing in, and they don’t have the support to meet those needs. They are saying, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get through this year,’ and a lot of my colleagues are burning out.”
The ATA says the next step of the media ad campaign will be a call to action for parents and community members to contact their MLAs to share concerns and ask questions around education funding.
“If you took your kids to school and noticed that their class sizes are bigger than they were last year, why is that,” Schilling said.
“Part of the goal of the campaign is to have Albertans focus on the fact that we are not funding our schools to a level that is meeting the needs of our students. Students are struggling and teachers are burning out and public education is in crisis. If we don’t do something to change course, things are only going to get worse.”
The new ad campaign is expected to be broadcast on traditional TV, as well as social media, print ads, newspaper and movie theatres.
There is also an online petition calling for more funding for public schools and teachers that can be found at stoptheexcuses.ca.
