Ask most people what the biggest problem facing Ontario public schools is, and you’ll likely receive the same answer: funding.
Toronto is preparing to close at least 9 schools next year, the most in a generation. And The Ottawa Public School Board is being forced to access its financial reserves and make even more budgetary cuts to deal with its $14.9 million deficit.
But according to a report on the status of education in Ontario released by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC), funding for public schools has been increasing. From the 2002-2003 and 2009-2010 school years, funding for both public elementary and secondary schools boosted about 36 per cent, from $14.4 billion to a government estimated $19.5 billion.
Yet, at the same time, that money is benefitting fewer and fewer students. The report notes that enrolment in Ontario’s public schools decreased 1.1 per cent between 2000 and 2005, and predicts it will continue to fall another 3.8 per cent from 2008 to 2013. We already knew that schools were in trouble just from a decline in birth rates, facing a drop of 500,000 students in the next ten years.
Parents who send their children to private school have always been seen to go against the norm. And though public schools still educate the majority of children in Ontario, more parents are realizing the benefits that smaller class sizes, expert teachers, and heightened school accountability can provide. The IMFC’s report cited a rise in private and independent school enrolment between 2000 and 2005 of 8.8 per cent.
The reason? There are a few, some of which I’ve just mentioned. Some more include a close-knit community, unique educational philosophies, and more extracurricular activities. But the underlying motivation is, and is likely to remain, the quality of education private schools provide. According to a survey of 919 families with children in the private system conducted by the Fraser Institute, “dedicated teachers” and “quality education” were the most common motivating factors for their choice in educational experience, followed by “no danger of teachers going on strike,” character development, well-roundedness, and school safety. Meanwhile, even with more government funding, Ontario students are not showing signs of improvement. Province-wide testing from the Education Quality and Accountability Office found little improvement in Gr. 4 and Gr. 8 students between 2003 and 2007. And the Society for Quality Education says that, for the most part, Ontario students have failed to meet the achievements of those in Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia for the past 25 years. Interestingly enough, the provincial governments of Alberta and British Columbia also provide partial funding for their private and independent schools. Which is exactly what the IMFC is suggesting the Ontario Ministry of Education do as well.
In matters of education quality in Ontario, the most effective solution is not always to provide the public system with more money. Clearly, the desires of Ontario parents are changing. And policies must change along with them.
You know what they say⎯more money, more problems.
[...] on our blog: Money Doesn't Make the Grade http://www.ourkids.net/blog/index.php/private_enrolment_up_604/ [...]