SURREY— New Democrats joined concerned parents and education stakeholders today to highlight the harmful impact of cuts and downloaded costs on the education of children in Surrey.

“Parents, school trustees and teachers are united in their concern about the educational opportunities our children are missing because of the B.C. Liberal government’s short-sighted decision to burden schools with cuts and downloaded costs,” said Harry Bains , the New Democrat MLA for Surrey-Newton. Harry Bains

Bains was joined by school district trustees Terry Allen, Ijaz Chatha, and Laurie Larsen as well as teacher Laurie Wilson, and parents Diana Douglas, and Kashi Sanghera at a press conference held at Fraser Heights Secondary School today that highlighted the problems facing Surrey Schools.

Bains noted that the student population of Surrey is increasing. However, marginal increases in funding from per-pupil grants are not enough to mitigate massive cuts to infrastructure funding and new downloaded costs.

Some of the many financial pressures facing districts include the costs of going carbon neutral, increased Medical Services Plan premiums, inflation, and the introduction all-day kindergarten. The B.C. Liberal government is not fully funding these costs.

“The B.C. Liberal funding formula doesn’t work for growing districts like Surrey, and it also doesn’t work for districts that are losing students,” said New Democrat education critic Robin Austin .  “It’s time for the government to start working with districts to ensure our children get the world-class education they deserve.”

Kashi Sanghera is upset that the provincial government is not taking action to address issues that are affecting her child’s education. She is especially concerned about the growing number of students who are forced to go to class in portables. By next year the district expects that 235 classrooms in Surrey will be in portables.

Robin Austin“We are not sure if they will ever have an opportunity to see the inside of a real classroom,” said Sanghera. “Many of these portables need renovations and have no washroom facilities.  Students as young as six are expected to walk over to the main building simply to wash their hands.”

“The elimination of facilities grant funding this year cut deeply into the Surrey district’s bottom line, forcing them to dip into funds set aside to get kids out of portables and into classrooms,” said Bains. 

Another issue which is putting pressure on Surrey schools is the unequal distribution of CommunityLINK funding for vulnerable students. While many districts receive up to $190 per student, Surrey only receives $58.47. This impacts the district’s ability to offer access to lunch programs and other services aimed at disadvantaged youth.

“We need to make sure that CommunityLINK funding is being allocated where it is most needed,” said Austin. “Surrey is a growing and diverse district with many vulnerable students. The government needs to ensure they are able to offer the support that all children need to succeed.”

Carole James and the New Democrats have been holding the B.C. Liberals accountable for breaking their word on the HST, and for backtracking on their election promises to protect health care, education, and other vital services.