Alberta’s education system is in turmoil. For the third consecutive day, public schools across the province remain shut, leaving over 700,000 students out of classrooms as 50,000 public, Catholic, and francophone teachers continue their strike. This widespread disruption has thrust a long-standing and contentious issue—Alberta’s financial support for private schools—back into the spotlight.
The controversy gained significant traction following the approval of a citizen-initiated petition. This petition calls for a province-wide referendum on whether the government should cease allocating public funds to accredited independent schools. If it garners 177,000 signatures (a threshold recently lowered by Premier Danielle Smith’s government), Albertans will cast their votes on this pivotal question.
The Funding Divide: Private Schools Flourish as Public System Struggles
Alberta stands out in Canada for its generous support of private education, providing non-profit private-school students with 70% of the funding their public-school counterparts receive—the highest proportion nationwide. Paradoxically, the province’s per-student spending in public schools is among the lowest in the country. Estimates from the Alberta Teachers’ Association place it at $11,464 per student, while the Fraser Institute suggests $13,421. Statistics Canada further confirms Alberta’s position as the third lowest in spending on pre-primary, primary, and secondary education across all provinces and territories.
Advocates for public education argue that this significant diversion of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to private institutions directly leads to overcrowded classrooms and underfunded programs within the public system.
A Call to Action: The Citizen Petition and Public Discourse
The citizen initiative champions the idea that public funds should exclusively benefit public, Catholic, and francophone schools, which are mandated to accept all students without charging tuition. Supporters believe that re-prioritizing these funds could be a direct solution to critical shortages, allowing for improved classroom resources and more competitive teacher salaries.
Private School Concerns: Accessibility and Infrastructure at Risk
However, private school organizations are vocal about the severe repercussions should this funding be withdrawn. Over 48,000 students attend private schools in Alberta, with an additional 23,000 in charter schools or private early-childhood programs. Many of these institutions maintain annual tuition fees below $5,000, and government grants are crucial in making them accessible to middle and low-income families.
Furthermore, private schools in Alberta uniquely benefit from portions of the province’s $8.6-billion school-construction budget, making Alberta the first Canadian province to offer financial support for private school infrastructure. Families enrolling children in independent schools from Grades 4–12 also receive an annual transportation grant of $492.10, according to insights from The Globe and Mail.
Critics warn that cutting this funding could inevitably lead to tuition hikes, potentially forcing students into an already strained public system, exacerbating overcrowding, and placing immense pressure on existing infrastructure.
National Overview: How Alberta’s Funding Compares
Across Canada, private school funding models vary considerably. Ontario, for instance, provides no public funding to private schools. British Columbia offers 35–50% of public-school funding, allocating over $589 million to independent schools in its latest budget, compared to $8.2 billion for public schools. Quebec’s average is 60%, Manitoba provides 50% based on a formula linked to nearby public schools, and Saskatchewan also funds private schools at 50% of public rates.
The Broader Implications for Public Education
Experts caution that simply reallocating funds from private to public schools might not automatically resolve the deeper issues plaguing Alberta’s public education system. The province’s per-student spending is already among the lowest nationally, and there’s no guarantee that redirected funds would directly translate into increased teacher salaries or improved classroom quality. The ongoing teachers’ strike serves as a stark reminder of the broader systemic challenges, including chronic underfunding, large class sizes, and persistent workforce tensions, that demand comprehensive solutions.