Current leaves parents of students with learning challenges scrambling
For interview requests, click here
Albertans are understandably frustrated with the ongoing support staff strike in Edmonton-area public schools. This frustration is especially acute for parents of students with learning disabilities or challenges—the very children who suffer most when their educational assistants are on the picket lines.
One significant reason a strike leaves so many Alberta students in limbo is that nearly 93 per cent of them attend public schools. Consequently, when this single sector experiences a strike, the majority of students are affected.
However, Alberta parents could regain control if they had access to a greater number of affordable learning options.
More options would lead to increased accountability across all schools, whether public, charter or independent. When educational institutions and their leaders recognize the existence of numerous alternatives, they are compelled to be entrepreneurial, innovative and responsive to parental needs. Empowered with choices, parents can select alternative schools or learning environments that best suit their children.
 Increasing affordable educational options can help parents navigate challenges posed by teacher strikes. |
| Recommended |
| Not all teachers are left-wing ideologues
|
| Schools should educate rather than indoctrinate
|
| Canadians don’t know their own history – and it’s holding us back
|
In essence, accountability ensures that schools always have a contingency plan—something notably absent during the current strike—or risk losing students. For instance, in 2020, 84 per cent of independent schools missed no more than three days of classes during the initial COVID-19 closures, whereas public schools struggled to adapt.
Regardless of strikes, a system offering a diverse array of school types provides parents with the maximum ability to choose the optimal learning environment for their children. This could encompass trades-based learning, small-group instruction, sports- or dance-focused curricula, or self-paced education, among other options. Children are not one-size-fits-all; therefore, our education system shouldn’t be either.
Of course, true empowerment for parents and genuine accountability are only possible when this wide variety of schooling options is accessible to everyone. Currently, with educational assistants on strike, students with disabilities or learning challenges have been instructed to stay home. Some children attend school only two days per week; others are home full-time. This situation has cornered parents, many of whom have had to take time off work or scramble to arrange work-from-home setups.
Ultimately, it’s the children who lose the most. Families suing the provincial government over the strike have a valid point: their children’s right to an education is being violated. Missing an entire month of school equates to 12 per cent of the academic year. No child can forgo 12 per cent of classes and still receive the same quality of education.
While Alberta boasts one of the most pluralistic education systems in the country, it remains insufficiently broad and deep to ensure true accessibility. Independent schools can be prohibitively expensive. Charter schools are not available everywhere and often have long waitlists. Home education is a commitment that not all parents are willing or able to make. Establishing new independent or charter schools involves months of applications and bureaucratic hurdles.
This scenario perpetuates a vastly unequal system. Wealthy families have their own options during this strike: hiring nannies, paying for private tutoring, or transferring their children to elite schools. However, we at Cardus envisions a society where a responsive, best-fit education is available to all children, regardless of family wealth.
Practically speaking, this means Alberta should encourage the establishment of new independent and charter schools—last year’s funding announcement for capital costs is a commendable start—and streamline the process without sacrificing appropriate oversight. Such measures would inspire more program diversity, expand the availability of these options, and ensure that any strike doesn’t automatically impact 93 per cent of students.
Realistically, enrolment won’t become more balanced, parents won’t have choices, and schools won’t be driven to innovate until these alternatives become more affordable. Currently, Alberta funds independent schools at 70 per cent of public school operational funding. This leaves a 30 per cent gap, plus all capital costs, which parents must cover through tuition or fundraising. As a result, even the most modest and affordable independent schools remain beyond the financial reach of many families.
There’s a better way—one that doesn’t force students and families to accept the loss of more than a tenth of the school year. By giving control back to parents, expanding educational options, and making them accessible and affordable, public schools will be prompted to make their own improvements, benefiting everyone.
Catharine Kavanagh is the western stakeholder director at Cardus, a non-partisan think tank.
Explore more on Alberta education, School choice, Education reform, Parental rights
The views, opinions, and positions expressed by our columnists and contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of our publication.
Troy Media is dedicated to empowering Canadian community news outlets by providing independent, insightful analysis and commentary. Our mission is to support local media in fostering an informed and engaged public by delivering reliable content that strengthens community connections, enriches national conversations, and helps Canadians better understand one another.
