View From the Legislature

This week the NDP made their annual announcement of funding for Manitoba public schools. As is usually the case, the NDP managed to give with one hand while taking away with the other.

While a 2.2% increase in funding was announced for the 2012-2013 school year, at the same time the government also eliminated the Tax-Incentive Grant (TIG) which was awarded to school divisions that did not increase their taxes. Many school divisions had built the TIG funding into their budget planning which means they will be scrambling now to make up the difference. With the TIG eliminated and with a smaller provincial funding increase than in years past, it’s likely many Manitobans will face increased school taxes in the coming year.

It also leaves the question open as to just how local divisions, particularly those that are growing quickly like virtually every one in southern Manitoba, are going to achieve the 20 students per class cap that the NDP promised for early years of education. For divisions that are seeing a large influx of students, that promise will require more teachers and class space but the NDP have not given any indication of just how they intend to pay for it. Certainly this weeks funding announcement leaves the impression the school divisions may be left to pass along all of that cost to the local taxpayers on their property tax bills.

Just as concerning was the fact that while the announcement once again talked about how much money was going into the public education system, it did little to suggest how that money would actually improve education outcomes. Funding our education system properly is critical. We need to ensure our teachers have the tools they need to propel our students to success in the future.

But missing from NDP announcements on education is exactly what students and parents get for the funding that goes into our classrooms. Recent reports show that Manitoba students are falling behind other Canadian students in areas like math, science and reading. While Manitoba students have traditionally scored in the middle of the pack in these areas, they are now ranked near the bottom in the country according to recent national assessments like the Pan Canadian Assessment Program results released late last year.

So while the NDP tried their best to make the announcement sound positive, the end result of it is that most Manitobans are going to see their education taxes go up this year with no real understanding of what they are going to get for the taxes they will pay. And no matter how the NDP tries to spin that, it just isn’t a good thing for Manitobans.