The Vancouver School Board’s adult education graduation takes place today. But students crossing the stage to pick up their Dogwood’s aren’t the only ones who won’t be back in class September.

For the first time in the history of the district’s adult education program, faculty have been issued layoff notices. A reduction equivalent to 25 full-time jobs, 48 faculty members will be affected. Sasha Wiley-Shaw, president of the Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association’s adult education sub local, says that’s close to 25 per cent of the district’s adult education faculty.

“It’s everybody who was hired in the last seven years,” she told The Tyee, which includes Wiley-Shaw herself.

“And really a big thing driving that is the provincial cuts to adult education rates.”

Last year the Ministry of Education changed the province’s Education Guarantee, a special purpose grant to districts to offer adult education classes tuition free, to only apply to courses for students who hadn’t graduated from high school.

Courses for students who had graduated from other countries or didn’t have the marks to get into post-secondary are no longer free, with the exception of a small list of courses.

Wiley-Shaw says this change has disproportionately affected immigrants to the country wishing to upgrade their education.

“It astounds me, frankly, that the matter doesn’t get more attention, because what’s by and large happened is that all immigrant adults have been blocked from accessing a B.C. high school diploma,” she told The Tyee.

“The ministry probably wouldn’t tell you all, but anyone who has graduated—whatever that means—anywhere in the world, when they come here now can’t get access to a B.C. diploma.”

Although students could pay for their courses, Wiley-Shaw says that is usually not within the reach of students in adult education. As a result, student population has declined, which is affecting courses for students who are covered under the education guarantee.

“So few of our students have the capacity to pay for those courses, that what ends up happening is we simply can’t offer those courses. So even local students, who are non-graduates, who are coming to us for high school completion, then can’t access those courses either because there aren’t enough students for them,” she said, adding courses like social studies, history, art, drama, computer literacy, and tech ed have been affected.

Low enrolment is the reason the district is giving for the cuts.

“There is a reduction in staffing congruent with reduction in enrollment. This has necessitated a layoff process similar to the one used annually in K-12,” said Kurt Heinrich, public relations manager for the VSB, told The Tyee via email.

“The number of layoff notices issued is always higher than the actual anticipated reduction in staff. The actual final number won't be evident until positions are posted and filled in the fall.”

Wiley-Shaw says she doesn’t see many teachers being rehired unless the Ministry increases funding to the district. Vancouver, like other districts, had to submit a balanced budget to the Ministry this spring, despite a $7.91 million funding shortfall.

Wiley-Shaw is quick to add, however, that all Vancouver trustees have been supportive of the adult education program and indicated they hope to regrow it in the future.

“We will definitely be working with the board and working through the board committees to look at ways that we can change what we’re doing or protect programs that are important to make sure we’re re-growing,” she said.

“With that kind of support, frankly, no matter what happens at the provincial level, the future is strong for adult ed in Vancouver because this board really believes in it and they tell us that all the time.”

The Tyee contacted the Ministry of Education for comment but did not hear back by press time.

Katie Hyslop reports on education and youth issues for The Tyee Solutions Society. Follow her on Twitter.