| Survey on Education in Alberta - Report Findings |
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Survey on Education in Alberta — Fall 2006
Report of Findings
The survey was completed by 4047 Albertans from across the entire province, with respondents from every provincial constituency. Nearly two thousand individuals provided additional comments. The following provides highlights of the respondents’ views on the main issues, concerns and judgements that emerged in the survey.
Fundraising and Fees
There were strong expressions of concern regarding the nature, extent and consequences of fundraising and school fees: >
Three out of every four respondents believe fundraising in schools goes to pay for basics; two out of every three respondents believe there is too much reliance on fundraising from casinos.
More than one out of every two respondents believes school fees should be prohibited in publicly funded schools.
Educational Outcomes
There was widespread concern that students are not getting the education they need to achieve important educational outcomes:
Eight out of every 10 respondents cite high school completion rates as poor or unacceptable.
Nearly half of all respondents (49%) and 73% of parents of children with special needs believe the current education system does not give students what they need to achieve their full potential.
Funding for Education
Overwhelming numbers of respondents expressed concern regarding the inadequacy of funding:
Eighty-one percent of respondents indicate current funding levels are insufficient to achieve desired class sizes.
Eighty percent of all respondents and 91% of current funding levels negatively impact the ability of every student to achieve their potential.
Approximately three out of every four respondents believe current funding levels are insufficient to modernize old schools or make the necessary repairs to schools.
Seventy-three percent of respondents and 84% of parents of children with special needs believe funding levels negatively impact the quality of education in Alberta.
Class Size and Composition
Respondents expressed concerns that large class sizes negatively affect learning, particularly in light of classrooms where students have highly diverse needs:
Fifty-eight percent of respondents feel there are too many students in the class they or their child attends; 55% believe class size negatively impacts learning.
Eighty percent of parents and students responding to the survey indicate that the needs of students appear to be very diverse in Alberta classrooms
Specialized Resources
Respondents have identified problems related to accessibility to important specialized resources. Areas of particular concern are:
Specialists to test students for special education needs;
Teaching/classroom assistants; and
Well equipped science laboratories.
Special Education
The education of children with special needs was an area of strong concern:
One-third of parents of children with special needs believe their children are not in a learning environment that best meets their needs.
Fifty-five percent of parents express frustration with the ability of the system to address the special needs of their child.
Evaluating How Well the Performance of Education in Alberta Reflects the Government’s Vision and Mission for Education
The overwhelming majority of respondents concluded that the realities of Alberta’s classrooms do not reflect the government’s vision and mission for education in several important ways:
Seventy percent of all respondents and 85% of parents of students with special needs do not believe Alberta’s education system makes the success of every student a priority.
Eighty percent of all respondents, 85% of those working in education, and 89% of parents of children with special needs believe funding for education is not a priority of the government.
Eighty-one percent of all respondents, 87% of parents of children with special needs and 88% percent of those working in education disagree that the Alberta government places a high priority on public education.
Ninety percent of all respondents indicate that education issues will influence how they vote in the next election.
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