Finance Minister Michael de Jong says the province's budget 2013 will help British Columbian families save for their children's future training and education through tax credits.
He explains the education budget will continue to rise over the three-year fiscal plan to nearly $5.4 billion.
The money for this and other budget items will come from projected revenue increases, a one per cent corporate tax hike and surplus property and asset sales, de Jong adds.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett says it is a “good news” education budget.
“I am proud that we have been able to save rural and remote schools and provide the best education possible.”
In the constituency, she adds, per student funding for School District #27 has increased over the years.
Also in the budget, the B.C. Liberal government will invest $210 million in the Learning Improvement Fund (LIF) over three years, and a new $1-million investment to add milk to the school fruit and vegetable program to further support student health and nutrition.
It includes a B.C. Training and Education Savings Grant, a one-time, $1,200 grant toward a child's Registered Education Savings Plan after the child turns six years old. However, this grant isn't from new money, as payments are made from the Children's Education Fund established in 2007.
Cariboo-Chilcotin Independent candidate Gary Young says the province has frozen education "block" funding (at $4.7 billion) for three years, despite having “a few problems to fix” in public education.
He also points to the teacher union in sharing the blame for these problems.
“We must find a way to stop the acrimonious behaviour of government and the BCTF. It seems we are 'playing pawn' with students.”
Young adds it's time to acknowledge that education costs are about 85-90 per cent contractual.
“BCTF always wants more money, less work time, more help; but is not seemingly part of the process to make things better.”
Private schools appear to be “doing better” in education results, Young adds, so he questions why these methods for success cannot be applied to public schools.
He says other areas needing improvement include determining an acknowledgement program for exceptional teachers; maintaining a grading system for teachers and students to build on; and integrating skills and trade training into the Ministry of Education.
“With lots of jobs out there, but a lack of specific skills training, we are on the outside looking in.”
Cariboo-Chilcotin NDP candidate Charlie Wyse says the problem with narrowing down the actual money to be spent on education is that, until the opposition and the general public is able to see the budget items line by line, they are left with a broader overview, but no real details.
However, he adds there is not enough support for education under the B.C. Liberal government, which has underfunded post-secondary and skills training since 2005.
“We [B.C. NDP] would be increasing funding by having a needs-based student grant being paid for by the reinstatement of the [corporate] capital tax.”
That grant would strengthen the opportunity for young individuals to move from secondary school to post-secondary training and obtain the skills they need today to be successfully employed, he adds, without a “massive student debt.”
He adds government should have applied the $17 million it spent on partisan election advertising on key ministries instead, and place its priorities on aspects, such as special education teachers.
“That's one of the areas where I'm suggesting funds could have come from for public education, to reduce class sizes and class composition.”
B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) second vice-president Glen Hansman notes that while block funding for public education is flat for three years, costs continue to rise significantly across the system.
“Since last spring the [Premier Christy Clark] government has been touting its [LIF].... The budget document, which is essentially a re-announcement of the LIF, states the fund has been used to hire 500 more teachers, but the BCTF has seen no corresponding increase in the teaching force.”
Hansman adds the only new proposal he sees is $1 million for adding milk to school snacks, which he says is “cold comfort for students who are hungry for change.”