Terrace Review — Wednesday, Feb. 26,1986 11 oa

demands expensive investment.’’ (Professional Engineers of B.C., March, 1985)

CUTBACKS IN EDUCATION? |

~ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME THAT SCHOOL
BOARDS SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?

ou Public expenditure in education is one expenditure that cannot be restrained. Education restraint is a mistake.’
(dim Matkin, President of Business Council of B.C., October, 1984)

“The government is in danger of cutting off the very lifeblood it will need to operate a successful economy in the

future. Business stands to suffer major fallout from provincial government cutbacks.’’ (Cal Hoyt, Dean of Business
“Administration, Simon Fraser University, March, 1985)

“The government should not arbitrarily set ceilings on school board expenditures, but should instead, respond to
the financial needs of each school district. It must acknowledge that the youth of B.C. is an economic resource that

mens seer en narnia

x 87% of the public believe the cuts have gone too far. (Marktrend Marketing Research Ltd., February, 1984)
# Over 80% of the parents strongly opposed class size increases as did an overwhelmingly 69.2% of non-parents.
(Coquitlam School Board poll, May, 1984) 7

* 86% of parents disapprove of reduced funding for schools. (Vancouver School Board & District Parent Represen-
tatives poll, December, 1984)

* 81% of over 3,000 random respondents felt that cuts have gone far enough. (Vancouver Province poll, February

1985)
School Funding Compared:
Cross Canada Highlights =
Share of Total Provincial—Local % Increase In Government Funding of Public Schools THE RECENT
Government Spending for In 1985 over 1984 Levels INCREASE’?
Elementary and Secondary Nfld ANNOUNCED BY
Education 1984 _
| ° PEL THE GOVERNMENT
- IS ONLY .7%
Newtound & N.S. OF THE PROVINCIAL
ewfoundland ae

Prince Edward Island = asa NAB. EDUCATION

Nova Scotia 46.86 Que. BUDGET.

New Brunswick ee FU RTH ERMORE,

Rocits 16.50 Ont. TH E “ INCREASE’

anitoba a
"Saskatchewan ot Man. FOLLOWS A

Dritish Columbla we 10°84 Sask | DECREASE OVER 7

Yukon Tarritory “i m THE PAST FOUR .

Northwest Territories 14,76 Alta. YEARS THAT IS :

Canada . 13.95 B.C. . TOWER MES ,
| Source: Stalistles Canada, Consolidated Government Finance, 1984 —2 0 2 4 6 8 10
+ unpublished data, % increase i

Source: CTF October 85 Economic Service Bulletin

WHAT DECREASES IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING HAVE DONE TO B.C.’s EDUCATION SYSTEM:

& Over 3,000 teaching positions lost since 1982 % B.C. class sizes now are the largest in Canada * B.C. educa-
tion funding is the lowest in Canada % B.C. teachers’ average salaries now rank lowest among all western prov-

_ inces, including Ontario % Services to children have been cut back: eg. a) Special Education services have been

reduced; b) shortages of supplies are now common; c) numbers of textbooks have decreased; d) students are get-
ting less individual attention in larger classes.

ASK YOURSELF: HAS YOUR SCHOOL BOARD OBJECTED

STRONGLY ENOUGH TO VICTORIA ABOUT EXCESSIVE

_ AMESSAGE BY YOUR LOCAL TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION Sy q