British Columbians Back School Trustees in Fight for More Funding
According to a recent Angus Reid poll, nearly 80% of British Columbians support increased funding for public schools. Read Vancouver Sun article here.
British Columbians back school trustees in fight for more funding
Almost 80 per cent of residents want more money for public schools, poll shows
By Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
A majority of British Columbians support school trustees in their call for more public-education funding and want the province to stop spending tax dollars on private schools, suggests a poll this month by Angus Reid Public Opinion.
The online survey, conducted at a time when trustees around the province say they're being forced to cut programs, staff and services to balance their 2010-11 budgets, found 79 per cent of respondents were either strongly or moderately in favour of increased funding.
A spokeswoman for the group that commissioned the survey, the B.C. Society for Public Education, said she was surprised by the findings.
"We didn't think they'd be that strong," Catherine Evans said in an interview Thursday. "People generally support public education, we know that. But supporting it and saying it needs more money -- knowing that the money comes from our tax base -- is a harder step and we weren't sure that people would actually say that.
"But they did, and in really strong numbers. That was surprising and also very reassuring to us."
More women than men indicated strong support for additional funding (54 per cent compared to 44 per cent), and Vancouver residents were more supportive than the provincial average (56 per cent compared to 49 per cent). Those earning less than $50,000 a year were also more likely than those with higher incomes to favour improved funding, with 85 per cent indicating strong or moderate agreement.
Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid has responded to funding complaints by noting that government is giving an extra $112 million to public schools next year -- bringing total funding to almost $5 billion -- and that trustees, like others who rely on government money, have to find efficiencies. But trustees say the increase does not cover rising costs over which they have no control, like MSP premiums and an increase in teacher pension contributions.
Asked if they agree or disagree with public dollars being spent on private schools, 39 per cent of respondents said they strongly disagree and 26 per cent said they disagreed moderately. Only 12 per cent indicated strong preference for private-school funding while 18 per cent said they were moderately in favour. Vancouver residents were more likely to be opposed, at 68 per cent, than the provincial average, of 64 per cent.
The polling firm surveyed 800 adults randomly from April 12-14. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 per cent.
jsteffenhagen@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun