An Education in Learning
Vancouver Island News Group - Monday Magazine
March 19, 2009
By: John Threlfall

While education minister Shirley Bond has been busy trumpeting an $84- million increase in provincial education spending for the coming year, not everybody thinks the math adds up. Just ask the Victoria Public Education Coalition, a community advocacy group that notes the budget increase doesn't even keep up with inflation-which means students, teachers and parents will likely have to brace for more cuts in the 2009-10 school year. Co-chair Tamara Malczewska, a parent of two kids … describes VPEC as a group of concerned parents, teachers and everyday people who are willing to stand up for "well-funded, quality public education that provides resources adequate for students' learning needs" and who strongly believe "that public education is a public asset that should be protected from privatization."

Monday Magazine: Why is a group like VPEC even needed?

Tamara Malczewska: Public education is an important part of our social safety net, and a good public-education system is the foundation of civilized society. What we're seeing is creeping privatization, basically rationalization of closures and budget cuts that really don't make sense from an investment standpoint. If we've got a situation where school districts are complying with provincial budgetary restrictions, how much can they be advocates for public education? When we don't see advocacy for public education, it's necessary that someone stands up to do it.

MM: What does this say for the future of B.C.'s education system?

TM: The government has talked a lot about declining enrollments, but, for example, closing seven elementary schools for a combined decline of less than five percent doesn't make good economic sense-in fact, enrollment in kindergarten climbed this year and is expected to climb as a result of the baby- boom echo generation. … school districts have had their backs against the wall and, while tough choices needed to be made, perhaps the choices should have been to keep schools open and not sell them off and to have proper funding instead.

MM: What's the reality behind the Bond budget??

TM: The reality is it doesn't cover the cost of inflation and the previously legislated wage agreements. Teachers are everything in the school system and operating expenses are roughly 90 percent of the overall budget-so if you don't cover those wage increases, you're clearly going to have a deficit. ...

MM: VPEC is calling for a "restoration budget." What is that?

TM: Basically, it's a budget based on a student's needs, not a top-down ratio. What we'd like to see is a return to at least what we had 10 years ago, to see those funding levels restored. We believe education should be an election issue, … Everybody should have equal access to a quality public- education program.

MM: What's the payback of a well-funded education system?

TM: When we invest in public education, we not only have a better-educated, higher-earning population but we have a healthier population. The principles are the same as preventative health care, except they're even more critical-the window of opportunity with our children is quite slim. We spend a lot of time as adults, but we spent a comparably short time being children. Investment in public education can only benefit society.