EDMONTON—Public interest Alberta applauded the Government of Alberta’s announcement today that Bill 1 in the upcoming legislative session will make good on its election promise to eliminate instructional supply, material, and busing fees.
“Mandatory school fees have been a way that previous governments downloaded costs to families – in essence, an extra tax on parents for having children in school,” said Joel French, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “We can build the best Public, Catholic, and Francophone school systems possible when governments invest the necessary dollars, and today’s announcement that school fees will be reduced is a very positive step in that direction.”
French also highlighted the need for the government to implement three other education-related campaign promises that remain unfulfilled.
“Alberta families need the government to follow through on its campaign commitments to reduce class sizes, increase classroom supports, and introduce a permanent school lunch program,” continued French. “Reallocating the funds currently used to subsidize private schools would go a long way to funding these promises to strengthen our Public, Catholic, and Francophone schools across the province.”
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