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#1081 - 09/21/08 10:33 AM Privately built public schools
Katherine Wagner Katherine Wagner enthusiast Registered: 09/04/07 Posts: 253 Loc: British Columbia	Alberta is building eighteen new public schools in high growth neighbourhoods and they are doing it in a cost effective manner. To read about the public private partnerships click here. I think this is an excellent idea. According to the news release, communities will have new schools at least two years earlier than if the gov't built them (if at all?). In B.C. we are facing problems with declining enrollment in some areas and overcrowding in others - often within the same district. The school district I live in - Maple Ridge - is a good example. We have overcrowded schools in the east and underutilized schools in the west. So, we are facing the possible closure of schools which still serve their neighbourhoods well, but the district needs to show it is consolidating space. So far, none have been closed (thanks to some great advocacy work by parents) but the problem remains. I think a public private partnership to build schools may be the way to go. Alberta has done the right thing in negotiating this province wide. I would not leave it to local school boards - though Abbotsford showed leadership with the building of one elementary school a few years back. Read about the public-private partnership that built a 'traditional' school here. ~Katherine
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#1188 - 10/21/08 06:56 PM Re: Privately built public schools [Re: Katherine Wagner]
left coast left coast stranger Registered: 10/21/08 Posts: 2 Loc: Vancouver, BC	I think that before falling with love with P3 schools, it is important to ask: why would an Alberta government awash with money go to the private market to raise funds? Governments financing is always cheaper than private financing, P3 deals require profit instead of education. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=e04f6ab6-adf5-49d9-b8d0-a58adfd444c2 But wait, there's more .. the schools can't be used by community based groups under these expensive for profit deals with transnational corporations http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=9173f794-2be7-48f3-a1cf-440e21f11ca0
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#1189 - 10/22/08 09:06 AM Re: Privately built public schools [Re: left coast]
Katherine Wagner Katherine Wagner enthusiast Registered: 09/04/07 Posts: 253 Loc: British Columbia	Welcome to the forum Left Coast. It is great to have people with a variety of views discuss the issues. Until the education system takes into account all perspectives and works to address the concerns of each, we will never have a truly public system (in the sense that it reflects society and communities). The pitfalls of any new idea (and old ones too - just because we have been doing something one way forever, doesn't mean it shouldn't be subject to equal scrutiny) must be thoroughly examined. I believe every idea has pitfalls and often it is the manner in which something is implemented, not the underlying concept, which results in negatives. I like the idea of P3s because they potentially give power over the location and preservation of schools back to communities. However, I don't think P3s are a panacea. There are other approaches. I've discussed the issue of school facilities in this article: Quote: Give trustees the power to tax (to fund capital projects) School Watch by Katherine Wagner The Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Times, September 26, 2008 With B.C. municipal elections for school trustees set to kick off, a hot education topic is about to boil over. Whether constructed of bricks and mortar or wood and stucco, school buildings are in the spotlight. Declining and shifting student populations, changing priorities, expanding mandates, cost pressures and structural problems all contribute to an unprecedented school facilities crisis. There are 60 school districts in B.C. and every one is struggling with school building issues. Neighbourhoods continue to be well served by their schools but smaller numbers of students make it difficult to maximize class sizes and offer services in a cost-effective manner... To read the rest of the article click here.
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