Newly minted Premier Alison Redford's decision to restore more than $100 million in education funding to Alberta school is welcome news for parents and students.
Following her PC leadership campaign victory, Redford moved to fulfill her campaign promise to put the money back into the system, funding that had been cut by the previous Stelmach regime.
Not surprisingly new Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has been quick to praise his leader's decision.
“This funding to school boards recognizes the fundamental value Albertans place on education and the expectation that appropriate classrooms supports will be in place for Alberta's students,” said Lukaszuk.
“With this additional funding, local school boards are directed to make decisions that are student-centered and to ensure funding is allocated where it will make the most direct impact on students in the classroom.”
All school boards will be required to report to Alberta Education detailing how the funding has been allocated and “how it positively affected students so that they can, and I can, report back to Albertans on the investment of that $107 million,” Lukaszuk said.
School boards across the province have, not surprisingly, reacted with pleasure at the renewed money, saying that there are current and long-term funding pressures at all grade levels that need to be addressed.
And while no one can argue that additional money spent on education is money well spent, whether the Redford Tories should be praised for the fund restoration is another question entirely.
For his part, official opposition education critic Kent Hehr says restoring the funding simply corrects an earlier mistake made by the Stelmach cabinet, which included Redford.
“Let's not forget that she was at the cabinet table when the original boneheaded decision to short-change education funding was made,” said Hehr. “It's fine to correct your mistakes, but we could have avoided a lot of grief, hassle and expense had the mistake not been made in the first place.”
The other opposition parties have also said that the restored funding is a case of righting an earlier wrong made by the Tories.
Premier Redford decided to make the restoration of the education funding one of her big campaign promises – and now she has fulfilled that commitment to Alberta students, teachers and staff.
Yet while schools will no doubt benefit from new funding, the premier should be aware that correcting the mistakes of the former government is only part of what Albertans will be expecting from her new administration.
Whether its education, healthcare, justice, transportation, infrastructure or some other area, residents will be watching for forward-looking policies and programs under Redford's leadership.
