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CUPE Local 474 has told the Edmonton Public School District that fighting public private partnerships is central to preserving high-quality public education.
At the annual budget hearings held January 14, the local, which represents 600 schools custodians, presented the board with 15 recommendations. Chief among them was a proposal to work with the board in opposing the province’s plans to introduce public private partnerships for new school construction.
“Hidden costs accompanied by significant loss of control are just a few examples of the problems with public private partnerships,” says local president Doug Luellman.
“The provincial government is determined to paper over education under-funding with the introduction of market mechanisms such as voucher funding and public private partnerships. However, these represent serious threats to public accountability, equal access to quality education and sustainability.”