Re: “Turning out responsible citizens," page 25, Oct. 1 Gazette
First of all, I do not question whether the private schools are doing a good job of producing “responsible citizens."
My position is that public money goes to essential public services, not to private enterprises.
He uses the same old propaganda that private schools save money. That’s like a company saying, “Spend more, save more."
This assumption is a false premise. It’s also disingenuous.
Why? Out of a budget of $9.8 billion set aside to run the public schools, the gov’t (2017-18) diverted $263 million or 2.7 per cent to the private schools. How is that saving money for public education? Who gave the government the right to invest public money into private schools? Was there a referendum on this matter? If so, when? If not, why not?
For more information on this subject, go to www. Alberta Government. Then go to www.education.ab.ca. Then go to K-12 Funding; then go to 2017/2018 Funding Handbook (367KB).
Then go to “Operating support for private schools and private ECS operators."
If we truly believe in “smaller governments," then taxpayers’ money should only go for essential public services such as public schools, police services, public health care, social services, emergency services, etc., not private schools nor private businesses like trucking companies, energy companies, telecommunication companies, etc.
If a person chooses to send his/her children to private schools, that is his/her “choice," and the public should not pay for that choice, no more than the public should pay for my decision to start a private business, or pay to send my children to a hockey camp, or pay for my children’s music, swimming, or dancing lessons. In my humble opinion.
- George Thatcher,
Trochu
