EDMONTON -- Edmonton Public Schools wants to report how many students are in each classroom after the United Conservative government scrapped the requirement.
Previously schools were required to report their class-size data online by Jan. 15, but the Alberta government quietly dropped the practice in October.
"Absent clear and consistent reporting tools, it is difficult to track and visualize the impact of funding to the classroom," trustee Michael Janz wrote to the board of trustees. "This change disarms accountability."
The education minister's press secretary, Colin Aitchison, said the reporting standards "did not succeed in reducing class sizes," and added Education Minister Adriana LaGrange is creating a working group to address classroom issues, including class size.
Janz said he's also concerned about the funding elimination for class size reductions. "These cuts, combined with the other cuts in the government's 2019 budget, dramatically harm classroom education," he said.
NDP MLA and education critic Sarah Hoffman painted a dire picture for the future of education in the province Monday morning.
"The scale of the 2019 budget cut has major implications as well on 2020," Hoffman said.
The Alberta NDP says that school districts across the province are facing a $210-million funding shortfall due to the Kenney government's cuts to education and rising insurance costs.
She said she is calling on Education Minister Adriana LaGrange to restore adequate funding to Alberta schools.
Edmonton Public Schools and Hoffman say there will be 15,000 new students in Alberta next September.
EPSB will discuss class sizes Tuesday.
