Surrey parents, teachers and support workers call on Premier for more education funding

Parents and teachers came together in Surrey this morning to call on the government for more funding for education.

The calls come after several cuts were made to services and programming earlier this year which has left gaps between students’ needs and the resources available to them. These cuts have exacerbated a shortage of teachers, EAs and support staff.

“There’s been a steady decline in how education is being prioritized by the government,” Lizanne Foster, vice-president of the Surrey Teacher’s Association (STA), told The Leader Spirit in February. “I have watched the same thing over and over again, whether it’s BC Liberals and BC NDP.”

Now the STA has sent a joint letter with support worker union CUPE 782 and the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council to Premier David Eby pleading for more funding to expedite development of new schools, adjust funding for inflation and cost of living, and fully fund inclusive education.

Schools across Surrey are operating at up to 158 per cent site capacity. Extended secondary schools and portables are Band-Aid solutions that are draining existing funds and taking up spaces used for play and recreation.

“The current waiting period between identified need for student spaces and a new school or expansion being opened can be upwards of 15 years,” the letter reads. “That is longer than the entire career of a student in the K-12 education system.”

With class numbers rising due to shortages of teachers and support staff, educators are not being fairly compensated for their work, the groups claim. Operational costs and educator wages have not remained in line with inflation and the rising cost of living.

But white the cuts impact all educators and students, the most critical impacts are on the most vulnerable students.

“I have a child who has support needs and I have seen how the right environment makes a world of difference,” Anne Whitmore, president of the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council, told 1130 News Radio.

The government has committed to having an Educational Assistant (EA), known in Surrey as Inclusive Education Support Workers, in every K-3 classroom. But the consortium of parents and teachers said these positions must be fully funded and must not replace student to EA ratios.