EDMONTON -- Alberta's education minister is calling the province's longstanding class size iniative program a failure, saying it's spent $3.4 billion over the last 15 years without meeting its goal.
Adriana LaGrange cites an Alberta Education report that found kindergarten to Grade 3 class sizes decreased on average by 1.4 students since 2003-04.
"This report demonstrates that we cannot continue to throw money at this problem, rather that we must look for new solutions while continuing to appropriately fund education,” she said in a news release.
In response, the Alberta Teachers’ Association blamed the large class sizes on underfunding.
"I'm worried that this report is a signal that the government is abandoning efforts to ensure that class sizes are returned to manageable levels," siad Jason Schilling, ATA president.
"Should teachers, students and parents just accept the reality of large class sizes?"
The initiative began in 2003 under the former Progressive Conservative government, directing money to schools to specifically reduce class sizes.
The report says the reason is schools were given autonomy to spend the money, with some diverting funds to other areas, such as support for special needs students.
LaGrange says she are her officials are now deciding what to do with the grant, but that overall funding to education will not be reduced.
With files from the Canadian Press
