CALGARY />– CUPE Alberta President D’Arcy Lanovaz said today that the announcement of a $7 billion provincial government surplus raises the question as to why the province wants school boards to use private partners to operate new schools.
“Privately operated schools take control out of the hands of communities,” said Lanovaz. “Governments in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have returned to conventional schools after costs went through the roof,” said Lanovaz.
Pointing to a recent UBC study into ‘public, private, partnerships’, Lanovaz called upon the Conservative government to reject private financing of new schools.
“This has always been about hiding debt, even if it costs the taxpayers more,” said Lanovaz. “Example after example and study after study show private financing is a bad deal for Alberta.”
“Alberta needs a lot of new schools, in Calgary the need is especially great,” said Lanovaz. “With $7 billion in surplus, the province can afford to build schools for Calgary without going down the very dangerous, very expensive, private financing path.”
Download a copy of the UBC study at: www.alberta.cupe.ca/download/ubcp3
For more information about CUPE Alberta, visit www.alberta.cupe.ca