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Albertans are invited to build their own provincial budget
The Alberta government has implemented an online tool (www.budgetchoice.ca) where Albertans can build their own provincial budget and make decisions on provincial spending and revenue priorities. On one page of the tool, users can choose between making no cuts to education and selecting up to six cuts to save up to half a billion dollars.
The ideas presented for making cuts to education include cutting grants to school boards, eliminating the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement program, eliminating class-size funding, reducing administrative targeted costs, changing department administration and changing the funding model for high schools. Most of the proposed cuts would result in teacher layoffs.
The tool provides similar options for cutbacks in all 17 ministries. It also offers the option of increasing revenue through changes to health care premiums or through corporate, fuel, income and sales taxes.
There are no options for expanding current programs or services, or reducing revenue streams. However, users can submit ideas for other changes.
The government has not made it clear what data it will collect or how it will use the data to develop future budgets.
The Association is encouraging teachers to take time (between 10 and 30 minutes) to complete the tool as a way to advocate for appropriate funding of public education.
