The BCTF Says: There are 2,500 fewer teachers than three years ago.
The Facts:
- There are fewer teachers in B.C. schools because there are fewer students – 30,000 fewer than in 2000/01. The last time B.C. had this many students was in 1995/96. This year, there are 33,314 public school teachers for approximately 606,000 students. In 1995/96, there were 33,733 public school teachers for approximately 609,000 students.
- The number of teachers we currently have is directly related to the number of students we now have, which is about the same as we had in 1995/96.
The BCTF Says: 113 schools have been closed.
The Facts:
- There are fewer schools because there are fewer students. This year, there are approximately 606,000 students and 1,666 public schools. In 1995/96, there were 609,000 students and 1,668 public schools. School enrolment declined in more than 50 of 60 school districts this year.
- Despite the fact there are fewer schools, the BC Liberal government is committed to ensuring students have modern, safe learning conditions. Since 2001, the BC Liberal government has spent more than $740 million on 19 new schools, 24 replacements, 130 additions and 27 renovations.
- By the end of 2007/08, the BC Liberal government will have invested more than $2.2 billion in school capital and maintenance projects across British Columbia, having built or approved 34 new schools and 278 replacements, additions, renovations or seismic upgrades.
- In addition, the BC Liberal government will spend $1.5 billion on seismic upgrades for our schools, a 15-year investment in student safety. So far, 95 projects worth over $250 million have been approved.
The BCTF Says: There are larger classes in every grade and that class-size limits have been eliminated in grades 4-12.
The Facts:
- Average elementary class sizes have remained virtually unchanged for the past decade. The average elementary class size in BC has increased by only 0.6 student since 2000/01 and in fact there are fewer students on average per class in 2004/05 than there were in 1995/96 (23.2 in 2004/05 and 23.5 in 1995/96).
- For the first time ever, class size has been put in legislation, with limits on individual classes and district-wide averages. Individual classes cannot exceed 22 students in a Kindergarten class and 24 students in a Grade 1-3 class. District-wide class size averages must be no more than 19 students in Kindergarten, 21 students in Grades 1-3, and 30 students in Grades 4-12.
- When rigid class size limits were in contracts, they resulted in courses being cancelled, fewer student options and entire programs disappearing. It is important that discussions around class size take place at the school level and involve parents, teachers, principals and trustees – not just union and school district negotiators.
The BCTF Says: Student access to libraries has been cut dramatically and that textbooks are increasingly outdated and in short supply.
The Facts:
- The BC Liberal government will invest $150 million more in public schools next year – the single largest increase in more than a decade. Schools will use the money to ensure students have access to quality library services and learning resources, including textbooks.
- The BC Liberal government has already invested more than $40 million to improve literacy, including:
- $12 million for public libraries
o $10 million to provide for 285,000 new textbooks
o $3 million in Ready, Set, Learn, a program to help three-year-olds get a good start in school
o $5 million in literacy innovation grants to support promising teaching practices
o $1 million for 12,000 new computers for schools
o $5 million for the community-based program Literacy Now
- $12 million for public libraries
The BCTF Says: Students with special needs are no longer getting the help they require.
The Facts:
- The BC Liberal government is investing $242 million in special needs students this year. Next year, funding for special needs students will increase by a projected $28 million to $270 million. Since 2001/02, special needs funding has increased by almost $75 million.
- The BC Liberal government will invest $3.7 million in additional funds to support students with special needs who require specialized equipment or who move from one school district to another.
The BCTF Says: BC children are losing out.
The Facts:
- There has never been a better time to be a student in British Columbia.
- The provincial high school completion rate remains at a record 79%.
- A record 47% of Aboriginal students finished high school in 2003/04, an increase of five per cent from 2000/01.
- British Columbia students scored higher on this year’s provincial exams, and boys, girls, Aboriginal and English-as-a-second-language students in Grades 4 and 7 all scored higher in reading compared with last year.
- No one outperformed B.C. in reading and math on the latest international test of 15-year-olds, and only two countries – Finland and Japan – did better in science.
The BCTF Says: Education is underfunded.
The Facts:
- Since 2000/01, funding to B.C. public schools has increased by nearly $460 million: $305 million in operating funding and $153 million in special, one-time funding. During the same period enrolment declined by more than 30,000 students. Per pupil funding will increase from $6,752 last year to $7,097 per pupil this year.
- The BC Liberal government is committed to increasing education funding by $150 million – the single largest increase in more than a decade. This new funding will help school districts continue to focus on improving student achievement. By increasing educational opportunities, enhancing parental involvement, and giving both teachers and students the tools they need to succeed, government is upholding its commitment to bring out the best in B.C.’s students.
