In addition to providing competition to the public system, the presence of a network of independent schools also produced tax savings for government. Photo Credit: iStock.
More and more evidence points to the many advantages of parents having viable choices in educating their children. Two different studies came out this week that pertained to Canadians’ dissatisfaction with the public education system and the fact that private education not only improves educational quality but also saves governments money.
The Fraser Institute released a study earlier this week based on the experience with public funding of independent schools in British Columbia. The study found that the BC government’s policy of permitting a portion of the tax dollars of parents to go toward an independent school instead of one in the public system saved the government money. This makes sense as parents put up some of the funds for independent school tuition and independent schools appear to operate more cost-effectively than do public schools. As a result, not having choice in the school system would load more costs onto taxpayers.
Also, over the last decade the enrollment in independent schools increased in the province by 13.1 per cent, clearly indicating support for the existence of school choice by parents. It was also interesting that the study found the average income of families with children attending independent schools was only slightly higher than that of families with children in the public system, demonstrating that it was by no means only well-off families that could afford to have their children in independent schools.
The analysis showed the government saved just under $6,000 on average for each student attending an independent school as opposed to public school. In addition to providing competition to the public system – which has always meant a higher quality of education for everyone in both systems – the presence of a network of independent schools also produced tax savings for government.
Another think tank, Second Street, also came out with a report this week on a public opinion survey indicating Canadian dissatisfaction with the K-12 public school system. The poll, conducted by Leger in early May, found that 55 per cent of Canadians believe the primary and secondary public school system has been going in the wrong direction over the past 20 years. The percentage increased from 51 per cent a year ago and 32 per cent in 2020. Only 25 per cent of respondents believed that things were going in the right direction in public schools.
Some of the reasons for this increasing concern had to do with discipline issues, curriculum that prioritized social justice and gender issues over education basics such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, accountability and things like so-called “new” ways of teaching subjects like math and reading. There were also concerns about the fact that students were off school frequently for so-called professional development days.
Both the Fraser Institute and the Second Street reports indicate much dissatisfaction among Canadians with the public school system in Canada as well as the fact that in many provinces there is no school choice options assisted by the taxes that all citizens are forced to pay. The provinces with some tax-supported school choice have consistently been ranked better in terms of education quality than those without.
Some recent developments have actually made things even worse. For instance, in the Toronto area there was a network of schools that, although part of the public system, offered specialized education for students that had shown aptitude in a particular area such as music, athletics, math, sciences and leadership. These options were initially available to students that had already demonstrated talent in a particular field so they could focus more on developing those skills.
This was of course unacceptable to the socialists that run our Ontario public education system and now entry into these specialized programs is available to all students, whether they have any talent in a particular area or not. This is a ridiculous change made in the name of “equity,” which will waste public funds on training students in areas where they have no aptitude and will undoubtedly be frustrating for any students who do have special skills but are either unable to gain access to these programs or are in a class where progress is limited because some students don’t really belong and drag down everyone else’s ability to learn.
International comparisons and test scores show that overall, public education quality has been declining for years in most provinces, while costs continue to increase significantly. One main common issue in all provinces is that to varying degrees, the socialist teachers’ unions, school boards and many teachers are more concerned about indoctrinating our children than educating them in the essential skills needed for anyone to have a successful and productive career. Teachers that disagree with this agenda are often terrorized and isolated if they speak out against it. Like many of our public institutions – and even some private ones – a “woke” philosophy has taken over to the detriment of taxpayers and quality public services.
Fortunately, there has been a slow but growing backlash against these policies in education and elsewhere in the last few years. The facts are clear. School choice is an overwhelming positive in terms of taxpayer cost and education quality. The only groups fighting choice are the unions and leftists who currently monopolize public education to their advantage and the detriment of taxpayers, families and students. The only way we will achieve the needed change is if we the voters demand it.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
