At first I was totally against cutting education, but I've now changed my mind - I can see now why we need to cut education.
Here's how:
When I got to the Education section, I clicked on the link that allowed me to submit my own idea for how to make cuts. I made two suggestions:
- Make cuts to standardized testing including Provincial Achievement Tests and Diplomas so you don't have to cut teaching and learning. Premier Redford already promised to abolish grade 3 and 6 Provincial Achievement Tests, so she could make good on her promise and save money.
- The Alberta Government could save money by turning teacher certification over to the Alberta Teachers' Association.
- Make cuts to Alberta Education's 640 full time staff. 100 full-time staff make decisions about curriculum and student assessment for the entire province, but if these decisions were made at the community level, we wouldn't need so many government bureaucrats.
Certainly, there is room for provincial level cuts, but there is also considerable room at the jurisdictional levels. We need to look further down the ladder than just at the province. We need to ask, "What does real innovation in education look like?"
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