The 1978 Seminar on Education Finance: Financial Implications of Declining Enrolment

Publisher:  Canadian Teachers' Federation, Ottawa, Canada
Year Published:  1978
Pages:  116pp   Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX816

In his opening address, Professor Brock Rideout identifies the real problem facing educational finance today as "the crisis in the economic climate and the change in public policy with respect to education," rather than declining enrolment.

Abstract: 
The above report consists of the texts of formal presentations, including documentation and a summary of the evaluation sheets of the Canadian Teachers' Federation in-house seminar held in Ottawa, April 10-11, 1978

In his opening address, Professor Brock Rideout identifies the real problem facing educational finance today as "the crisis in the economic climate and the change in public policy with respect to education," rather than declining enrolment. He cites nine key areas which provide the context in which education budgeting will take place in the future, of which declining enrolment is one.

Responses to this address on the part of provincial CTF representatives outline the particular problem-situations of the respective provinces. Most speakers agree that there is a definite effort by provincial governments to reduce funding into education. In particular, Charles Hyman of Alberta, analyses the question of part-time employment for teachers and how it relates to the full employment notion in society in general. Bill O'Driscoll of Newfoundland offers some measures that could be taken in the face of redundancy to create more jobs for teachers. In Quebec, according to Doug Noon-Ward, closures of schools are brought about by Bill 101 with its restrictions in the English sector, and by Quebec 'out-migration'. As a result, the Provincial Association of Catholic Teachers is working on quotas to cut down on the number of people coming into the educational system which is already letting teachers go with eight years' experience.

In his summary of the proceedings, Bill Broadley of British Columbia identifies eleven main themes which appear to him to be significant. Among these is the theme that "teachers need to use their analytical power more, just their aspirations, to deal with the problems associated with education finance and declining enrolment."

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