OUR VIEW: Short-changing Surrey schools is inexcusable

It’s high time for this Liberal government to remove the dunce cap and starts funding our school system properly.

Jim Iker is president of the British Columbia Teachers Federation.

Jim Iker is president of the British Columbia Teachers Federation.

The provincial Liberal government clearly needs some serious schooling on how to grow a healthy public school system.

The current system is withering on the vine.

One could be forgiven for pointing blaming fingers at their local school board for budgetary problems, if this were an isolated thing, but shortfalls are clearly in abundance this year: Surrey, by $4 million, Delta, $3.38 million, Abbotsford, $4 million, Burnaby, $3.4 million, Greater Victoria, $5.9 million, Vancouver a whopping $27 million deficit.

Etc.

Jim Iker, president of the British Columbia Teachers Federation, says this province ranks second in worst government funding across Canada with the provincial government spending $1,000 less for each student than the national average.

Meanwhile, parents of students in the public school system continue to get nickel-and-dimed for dubious fees levied by the schools themselves.

It’s high time for this Liberal government to remove the dunce cap and starts funding our school system properly, with the ample taxes it takes in, if it wants to avoid learning a hard lesson in the agony of defeat come next  provincial election.

People are fed up already.

The Now

Surrey Now