Alberta Education has not been able to reduce the number of students in the province’s classrooms despite spending billions of dollars on the issue over the past 14 years, according to a new report from the province’s auditor general.
The report, released Thursday, found the ministry put money that was supposed to go towards reducing class sizes into general instructional funding. The government also isn’t tracking how the districts are spending the money.
“Despite the $2.7 billion in funding spent on the initiative, the number of school jurisdictions that met the department’s class size targets in 2017 is lower than in 2004,” the report states.
The class size reduction initiative started in 2003. The money still appears as a line item in the ministry’s budget. The amount was $293 million in the 2017-18 budget
“The line item is essentially base funding,” said Auditor General Merwan Saher.
Saher said if the money has “morphed” into base funding then the public shouldn’t be given the impression that it is dedicated to reducing class sizes.
Auditor General Merwan Saher says funding for reducing school class sizes instead went to general instructional funding. (Michelle Bellefontaine/CBC News)
Auditors found reporting initiatives evolved over time. In 2007, the government loosened the reporting requirements after school districts complained they were too onerous as they had to give reasons for not reaching hiring targets.
Ideal class size never achieved
On average, the ideal class size of 17 students for kindergarten to Grade 3 was never achieved in the life of the program, the auditors found.
The auditors also found the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission (APMC) isn’t able to prove it is managing the risks presented by the Sturgeon refinery/
The report found APMC isn’t providing sufficient information to the public about the project.
“Albertans are not being fully informed about this fairly significant endeavour,” Saher said. “There is a simple story to be told and it isn’t being told.”
He said Albertans need assurances that APMC understands the risks and manages them properly
The report also looked at the government’s climate leadership plan. The auditors found it has no overall implementation plan as it involves a number of ministries.
Saher commends the government for issuing a progress report in December 2017. But he recommends the government more clearly lay out expected costs to 2030.