Both the BC Chamber of Commerce and the BC Business Council have called for school expenditures to be counted as "investments" rather than costs. Mind you, they do so for utilitarian reasons, as both groups acknowledge that we are facing a looming skills crisis that only a highly functioning education system can hope to address. Surely the Liberals ought to listen to their own when they call for more funding for the system. What's plugging their ears?

Recent "revelations" that schools in West Vancouver and other affluent areas "outperform" schools from poorer areas must merely have confirmed the expectations and desires of the inhabitant of those affluent communities. Often they are people who have clawed their way to the top of the socioeconomic heap. It must be comforting and reassuring to be shown that it's because they're the best. Such evidence as school results on standardized testing says so. Meanwhile, the rest of society continues to suffer the depredations of a government whose commitments to all British Columbians is in name only.

That books and other educational materials cannot be distributed equally to all public school students, regardless of economic circumstances, is, to me, the same as the use of skin colour, accent, gender or age decide worthiness. That government, (ministries of) Finance or Education or local school board would actually work purposely to acheive that objective is, to me, a frightening crime. Will BC's school children be thanked publicly for dieting a bit on the knowledge side so our government can project a slightly fat surplus?

The Globe and Mail's report of the same OECD study: Canada's ranking falls in funding for schools CAROLINE ALPHONSO EDUCATION REPORTER 971 words 14 September 2004 The Globe and Mail A6 Once a leader in basic education, Canada has cut its support of elementary and high schools over the past decade as a result of demographic change and provincial governments' increasing interest in universities, a new study finds. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ranked Canada 19th out of 30 developed countries for its funding of primary and secondary schooling in 2001. At 3.4 per cent of its gross domestic product, the amount was not only proportionally less than Canada spent six years earlier, but was below the OECD average of 3.8 per cent. Universities and colleges, however, ranked third in funding as a percentage of GDP (2.5 per cent), surpassed only by the United States and South Korea and well above the OECD average of 1.8 per cent.

I have a friend whose children attended a school in BC that had a waterfall in it but the parents were asked to fundraise for textbooks! It seems to me that it should be the duty of every school and the right of every child to be provided with textbooks. Where is the intelligence behind cutting the simple tools of learning? Also it is not surprising that provincial governments in Canada have an increasing interest in supporting universities to the detriment of elementary and high school funding since universities are often used these days as yet another opportunity for government and business to meld in dispassionate embrace. By the time I graduated from SFU in the seventies, it's origins as an Arts and Humanities based university had already made a wide swing towards Business and Science. There is just no money in poetry.

I am just a child and I read that whole thing and it makes perfect sense. I go to Strathcona and I'm the one in the picture. Some cases are a class gets half an eraser each because of the cut backs.Plus not all of my friends or family are all that wealthy we cannot afford everything. I'm in grade seven and going to high school next year but for all the other students in pre-k or k-7 hopefully have more supplies that they can all afford and I hope that everything is all better!!!

Miranda, thanks for speaking out for your classmates, especially the younger ones who have to share erasers so that Gordon Campbell's wealthy friends can enjoy more tax-free income. I wish you good fortune in high school and, please, continue to speak out as we need the voices of youth who can give far greater legitimacy to issues such as this than we middle-agers can.

Mr. Saul is right, of course. But he is the wrong person to be delivering the message. Maybe next time he thinks of spending millions to escort his elite friends on world tours, he could also contemplate how that money could be better spent.....

I don't remember Mr. Saul being elected or appointed as anything at all. Isn't he just the room-mate of the GovGen? When did the tag-along spouse of any previous GovGen wind up tap dancing in the spotlight? And Lead By Example is absolutely spot-on, the money Mr. Saul and Her Wonderfulness the GovGen have wasted in the past few years would have bought erasers for every kid in the country. And pencils and books and maybe even some vitamin pills and hot lunches. I don't want to hear from the upper crust. I want to hear from the working poor who are the very filling in the pie. Is this "thinker" and "philosopher" the same John Saul who writes horror novels? Mind you the most horrible horror novel is being written by the Fiberals, provincial and federal. NeoCon apologists for the conglomerates.

I disagree with Anne Cameron and the previous writer. Public education needs all the financial and political help it can get, regardless of their own social status. And no, John Ralston Saul has NOT written any horror novels. You have the wrong person in mind, Anne Cameron.

John Ralston Saul, who, to our great fortune as Canadians, is married to another unelected appointed official, the Governer-General, wrote "Baraka", "Voltaire's Bastards, the Dictatorship of Reason in the West", and "Unconscious Civilization", among others. Unlike anne cameron, I WANT to hear members of 'the upper crust' standing up for proportional taxation, especially those with the intellect of Ralston Saul and Clarkson, whose positions are well-merited.

Hello, I'm one parent from Srathcona quoted in the article. First, I want to thank Tyee and Ms. Ince for this truthful article about the state of our schools and Strathcona in particular. But I'd like to add something that Ms. Ince and I did not talk about. Which is how, in spite of the lack of government support and the large numbers of families in poverty, the personal dedication, time and creativity invested by most teachers and staff at Strathcona make it a good school and one I am pleased to have my son attend. For example, there are great music and sports programs. But in one generation, public education in Canada has been allowed to deteriorate even more so than health and medicare but with less fanfare because of the demographics it serves. Because so often it is the teacher's unions fighting for our children and our education system the governments can pretend they are only "vested" interests. However, I think that attitude often comes from people who, in general, are motivated by values very different from those of the teachers. People need to understand that teachers as a group can want what is best for the education system as a whole as well as what is best for them in their jobs. Simply, teacher's demands are not just selfish, wanting the most for the least. Like Mr. Ralston, I see such a difference now from when I went to school. As he says, now in our so-called public schools, we are "paying for an increasing number of what I received as normal, and what they are now describing as extras.” We, the public, have the responsibility to inform our MP's and MLA's - in fact, everyone we can, that we will not stand for the disintegration of public education any longer. Thanks, Lenore S. Clemens

Thanks Paul in East Van Lets show a little class folks, regardless of Sauls position in life he does have a point Of view, which shows some courage unlike many of his fellow ilk in his social circle. I have Great respect for those who use their position to forward progressive ideas which sometimes Makes them stand out or become excommunicated amongst their piers. We should not dislike someone Just because they have a better lot in life then our own, we need to recognize allies when We see them. It’s a catch 22, if your poor you rant and rave and nobody hears you, if your Wealthy you talk and people hear and then start to tear you down for who you are. Mr. Saul is The only person in a position of power I have ever heard say Globalization is dead. How many BC citizens wrap their sweaty hands around their nickel and dime tax cut and say nothing while We shut down schools and hospitals and marginalize so many of our brothers , how many say nothing And then take a shot at Saul, Character assassinations will get you nowhere.

And nothing will get back the millions spent to fly the GovGen and her philosophical hubby on their several tours... this GovGen has a budget which has increased by more than one hundred per cent over the past few years...that money would have been better spent on education... it's very easy for people to TALK about how "globalization" is dead, and it's very easy to TALK about improving the funding of our schools but talk, unlike first class international air travel, is cheap and smilingly taking advantage of Fiberal generosity-to-the-rich smacks of hypocrisy when mouthing platitudes about the shameful dearth of school funding.... so who IS the John Saul who writes the horror stories?

A heartfelt thanks to you Ms. Clemons, from a teacher trying to the best he can with what we are given. It's too easy for teachers to think that many parents and public do not understand or care about the public schools in BC. Your letter tells us otherwise! The Liberals have done an excellent job in "dividing and conquering" the parents and public from the teachers/BCTF, who, according to Campbell, get relegated to the status of a "special interest group". How come the Fraser Institute and the corporations are not seen as special interest groups? Don't believe the media hype in demonizing teachers...it is a bargaining year and the public will be able to see that conditions we bargain in our worksite also benefit the children we teach. Thanks for your support and we'll all need to pull together for the May 17 day of reckoning.

Your thoughts on the Governor-General's "tours" are justified if you use Can West media as your main source of information. I would have liked to see more coverage of their visits to various parts of the world. I do recall one 'short' article (Globe and mail maybe?) that mentioned that although they used up a lot of money, they covered a lot more ground than previous visits. Personally, I can think of no better Representative than Adrienne Clarkson to spread the word on what makes this country so great in the eyes of the world.

Please People, stay focused, primary education is a provincial responsibility, all the cuts were made by the Province, in other words by Gordon Campbell. Did you read that sad joke, where the schoolboards get credit at an albertan booksupplier, while they could buy the books cheaper right here in BC. There is only one way out of this mess, get rid of the Liberals, They lied, they cheated, they broke their promises and they are implementing an agenda, they never mentioned before the last elction.

Anne, tear yourself away from, CKNW, the Sun, the Province, BCTV, Michael Campbell and go to the library and read J.R. Saul's books. Since the only cost to you is a library card it would be very efficent. Make sure you read all the words in the books.Don't search the web for summaries.

Perhaps it is B.C. teachers who should be lecturing Mr. Saul on the appropriate use of scarce tax dollars, and not the reverse!

Dear Do as I say etc. Please read the story, do it twice if need be to absorb some of the statements and you may notice Mr. Saul didn't lecture any teachers, but rather praised their efforts despite the cutbacks by our premier who has opted to discriminate in the most ruthless way against children who's parents don't earn enough money to be considered worthwhile. Frankly, I get frustrated when I see blatent anti-anything reactions from people like you who seem to think that just because Saul and his spouse are high profile dignitaries they are automatically open to abuse. Please go back and refresh your understanding of the role of the governor general's office as well as that of the spouse. While you are at it, google Saul's name and perhaps you'll learn a smidgen about him that wasn't brewed up by some right-wing zealot who is pissed off that a very Canadian couple who happen to have a few progressive bones in their body are filling the posting. I'm actually quite suprised at the number of posts here that go into-auto-rant simply because these people appear to be from Ottawa or worse eastern Canada. Saul was pointing out the terrible impact on public education since el-gordo has started slicing and dicing budgets. You would appear to be a poster person for what can happen if you don't get the basics in education.

This is a very interesting article by Judith Ince and Miranda'a posting from the frontlines of her classroom speaks revealingly about the real truth and consequences of Campbell's underfunding to our schools. Everytime you see those expensive, glossy AchieveBC ads, think half an eraser.

I especially liked Saul's reference to the creation of "a phony tragedy" that leads to privatization. This after all has been the method used over and over again in bringing in privatization ( whether it be our medical system, BC Rail, BC Hydro, senior care, ICBC or as in this case, education)...make the public system seem bad, chaotic, unprofitable, inept, failing (you choose the adjective) and then it is so much easier to promote a path that will eventually result in privatization. And as we see in Miranda'a classroom, despite the fine efforts of teachers, there are great losses incurred by an "exclusive" educational vision that now sees students and their parents as customers availing themselves of a service. If you don't have the money, you're out of luck and erasers.

Good comments Allen, most folks have no idea of what the role of the governor general is and What benefits she brings. I have a friend who is in tourism BC, our government spends little to Nothing promoting Canada around the world. Ask someone is Europe or SE Asia where NY or London is and they Get Excited. Ask them about Vancouver or Toronto and they don't have a clue. If they Want to send our Governor general around the world promoting Canada and spurring interest in our Economy is that not a good thing. We have become to lazy and reliant on the US to take care of our economy for us. (aka , the borders must always be wide open) And the media has done a good job Smearing John Ralston and Adrianne, why would Can West and others hate Saul , maybe because they Know his reputation... His is a very progressive writer and if he speaks out about education cuts In BC when no one else is, lets not crap on him. The left will never succeed if we skin anyone that is successful . Recognize your allies.\ Some writings by Saul The interesting thing is that these people are saying that they're in favor of globalization, but their policies are the policies of 19th century negative nationalists—policies which say, in effect, "We don't need to learn much. We're just fine here. We can cut down on education; we'll just teach the kids how to run machines." It doesn't work.

Stuart writes of the "we can cut down on education;we'll just teach the kids to run the machines" approach. Any one else notice how the public education issue is snowballing? Heard a national political journalist say that since health care has been given something to chew on, public education is the focus. In Vancouver, parents are telling advocacy group Vancouver SOS that education is their number one issue for May 17 election. Which way is it going to go? Machinists? Citizens? Let's all of us - students, parents, educators, governments - get down to it. Fasten your seatbelts. . . Can journalist Ince give us more?

I regret that this otherwise good article takes a pot shot at a west side school while drawing attention to the underfunding of education. Such comments and comparisons are divisive and often lead to a sort of urban legend about the state of Vancouver schools, rather than bringing any light to the issue. ALL of Vancouver's schools are underfunded, even the west side schools that are described here as "rich." The main problem with Vancouver's schools is that the cuts have affected the number of kids in the classroom and the number of counsellors and other educators and staff who work with these kids. Parent fundraising cannot buy staffing. None of Vancouver's schools (east or west) have the services they need. But most people don't know that the staffing levels at the "rich" schools are generally lower than in the "poor" schools. Everybody assumes that parents in those schools will pay for the things that their children aren't receiving in schools, like tutoring, enrichment, and counselling. However, there are plenty of children on the west side who have learning problems, live in poverty, have single parent families or families with ill parents, who have encounters with the legal system. If you are poor, have ESL parents and attend a "rich" school (even cross-boundary), you are not going to have breakfast for a quarter or lunch for a dollar. You might not have lunch at all. You certainly won't be attending an all-day kindergarten program that would provide you with the language and social skills that might make all the difference. This is real inequity. I have a child in a grade 12 science program at Point Grey school on the west side. This school is often considered a rich school. Our PAC is not purchasing textbooks, but I can tell you that it's not because they are not needed. The grade 12 chemistry class of 33 students shares their books with the grade 11s, and to do this, they have cut the books in half! Even sawed in half, there are not enough texts to go around this year because there are 33 kids in the class. Therefore, even though this is a provincially examinable course, the kids cannot take the books home. Oh, and the books date from the mid eighties. At the same school, we almost lost our music teacher this year to Killarney on the east side. Why? Because our band room was designed to handle about 25 students, and there are classes of fifty and sixty kids in there. Instruments get broken, kids have to crawl under chairs to leave the room. There is almost no storage and there's so little soundproofing that it's a struggle to take math in the class across the hall. We'd love to have a proper band room for our program of 400 students, but we can't have it. One thing I can tell you is that if we try to raise the money to build one, there will be an outcry in the paper about "rich" parents privatizing education. Gladstone School, a top-notch school featured in your article, began making plans to build a dance studio for their new dance program last year. A previous PAC chair told me that the trustees were helping them link up with a program in Japan that might give them funding. I don't know if this has gone ahead, but I do know that Gladstone would not be subject to the same finger-pointing that a west side school would be if doing the same thing. Let's stop using rhetoric that makes west side children seem like pampered kids who have life handed to them on a silver spoon, while east side kids are all struggling to read the alphabet because of their crime-ridden neighbourhoods. There are brilliant kids on the east side who have won competitions. There are east side schools whose students consistently do well on provincial exams. There are kids without textbooks on the west side. And there are kids on the west side who have lost parents in gangland slayings and drug deals in the past year. All our children need our support, not our derision.

Good comments about the divisiveness of the eastside/westside school characterization so misleading in the local papers. I didn't get that from the above article, however. Underfunding has hit all schools. Back to Saul's 'egalitarian intent of public education' - I understand the Vancouver School Board is attempting to address the equity issue by dividing city schools, formerly grouped in NW, NE, SW, SE quadrants, into groupings that reach from W to E across the city. That's an innovative move.

It’s remarkable what the media (print & electronic) will avoid publishing, especially when their corporate financiers feel the heat of an erudite person’s comments, such as Mr. Saul’s, whose criticism of the B.C. government’s cut-backs in education, were very to-the-point. All we heard of during the Governor-General’s visit to Vancouver , was their extravagant spending, as representatives of the Queen. Now, I’m no supporter of the monarchy in Canada, much less anywhere else, but this couple have got it right, when it comes to pointing out where the problems lie. The 6:00 p.m. TV news was all over themselves with their tirade against the pair’s spending spree from North West Territories to Siberia, but not once did they air Mr. Saul’s comments, so as not to offend Campbell & Co. If this same TV network was as vociferous about this subject (and others) as they were during the NDP stewardship, perhaps we could cut them some slack, but it’s obvious that either you toe the corporate line or collect UIC. Have you heard any stridency in their reportage recently about health care cut-backs, as was obvious during the NDP era?

For those who didn't get what "laughing mirthlessly" meant with "rich westside schools" was sarcasm in direct reference to fundraising ability and the used texts issue. In fact, I paraphrased a comment someone from the "West Side" said very seriously about the used texts. Really! Other than that, I find if very sad that the writer assumes from one quote that the article and people quoted don't understand the realities of poverty on the West Side. We do, but we were strictly discussing the numbers and circumstances at our school which we were being interviewed about. The article was about J.R. Saul's visit and education and they came to Strathcona in part because we the "infamous" East Side and the numbers of poor stands out as a bad example. The bottom-line painful frustration is that yes, the way things are set up right now, funding goes by numbers of children who need, rather than by following every child who needs. And, yes, that should be changed so that no child goes to school hungry. As well as all the other deficiencies that the writer mentioned. All schools, all of public education in British Columbia right now, more so than some other provinces, is being decimated by the provincial government. Otherwise this whole idea of funraising as is being sickenly displayed as a viable alternative in some areas would not be happening. And that fundraising itself perpetuates the erroneous belief about conditions in "West Side" schools. We're all together, or at least, should be.

if you were planning to, please don't post my last comments to this site, thanks, I just sent a response to another article. Thanks for doing so much on education.

the librarian report of decrease in budget for books does it take into account that p.c.'s need funding too,where did those funds come from?just asking. my personal testimony in life includes a very amenable study place and homelife which is missing in some poor families but i did not get positive input from parents when needed. Sometimes the crunch comes down to a students choice it is not easy to ignore peers etc. when you want to buckle down on homework,i expect the same is true today as it was 40years ago.