Adult Education Cuts: A Question of Fairness and Equality

The provincial government has recently announced changes that could result in the Vancouver School Board (where I am a trustee) losing up to 50 per cent of the funds it gets from Victoria to run adult education programs. They claim that many students drop out of courses before they are completed and the new policy will save money.

Are they right? Does it matter if adult education programs are less accessible? Why should we care?

To answer, it's important that we ask ourselves these questions: Who enrolls in adult education upgrading classes? Why? Why do many of those students have trouble succeeding?

The students are typically those who have been least successful in their previous education. While they may have graduated from high school, they need to brush up on skills if they are going to move forward -- perhaps to college, university or to study a trade. They are often immigrants or Aboriginal, sometimes refugees. They are much more likely to have suffered losses, delayed successes, faced trauma early in life and, significantly, they are often poorer than other students.

'Pushed to continue'

I have just returned from Vancouver's 2012 Adult Education convocation and, once again, I'm simply amazed at the graduates proudly telling the audience that at adult education they, "had the first taste of success," that they, "were pushed to continue," and "felt overwhelmed but persevered in a supportive environment."

It's important to note that Education Minister Abbott has admitted that the courses which have the most dropouts are on-line, computerized courses -- those without a face-to-face relationship between students and teachers.

COPE, the Vancouver municipal political party to which I belong, has always argued that adult education is a social justice issue. If, as a community, we are really interested in equity -- really interested in helping those who are less privileged become more successful -- then adult education is one important way to move forward.

In Chinese history, it is taught that only through education can an ordinary member of society succeed. Here in Canada there is a very close correlation between levels of education and economic, social and community success -- both for the individual student, and for the community in which he or she lives. So adult education is good for all of us.

One adult education teacher, Will Cullen, described the types of students who will suffer from the cuts.

New chance for those learning English

"Many of my students," said Cullen, "although they may have 'graduated' from high school, have graduated from high schools where English was not the primary language. Many of these students immigrated to Canada -- and B.C. -- hoping to make a better life for themselves and for their families.

"However, because their language skills were so poor, and because many of them work multiple jobs to be able to ensure success for their children, they have not had the luxury of focusing on their language skills.

"To improve their language skills -- so that they may speak to their children in English, or in the hopes of improving their income stats -- many return to adult education to improve their English.

"Because of the new funding criteria, students on track for success leaving Foundation 6 or 7 will now have to pay for English 10, English 11 and/or Communications 11, possibly Communications 12 before they get to English 12 -- and this is assuming they only have to take these courses once to be successful.

"This amounts to a funding burden of -- at best -- nearly $1,000. And this burden is not placed upon students who traditionally come from a middle-class or higher socio-economic status. Rather they come from the lower to lowest SES."

A crooked path to knowledge and expertise

Cullen offered a second, different type of student who benefits: "Many English speaking, Canadian born students in this situation actually had very unstable home lives yet managed to 'complete' high school, some were working as well as going to school to support themselves and/or their siblings and/or families, so, although they may have graduated, they in no way realized their potential due to their circumstances and not due to ability.

"Others were passed through: the 'trouble' students, those with undiagnosed learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or mental health issues; and there were those who even at a young age were already developing addictions or were addicted.

"And, of course, there are those students who find it difficult to even enter a classroom because of abuses suffered while attending school as youth. We need not think of any more heinous a situation than the residential school. I've had several such students in my class who had 'graduated' these 'schools.'

"What is common amongst all of these students who have 'graduated' is that, under the new funding rules, they will be punished for circumstances either beyond their control, or for poor decisions made when they were young.

"Little or no regard is given to the circumstances from which they graduated, the time elapsed since they graduated, or the life circumstances that occurred in between. They're simply to pay."

Why limit opportunities?

This is a crisis for our students. The premier claims her government is committed to students and their families, but these changes will make it much harder for the most vulnerable in our community to improve their lives and their families’ lives.

On May 14, I moved the following motion at the School Board:

That the board schedules a public meeting concerning the impact of adult education revisions to which all the Vancouver MLAs, MPs and city councilors and the minister of education are invited. Furthermore, the board approaches the adult |education teachers, administrators and students to plan the meeting to include presentations from them regarding the impact of these changes on students, families and especially on those from marginalized and less privileged communities.

I'm pleased the motion was carried, and that the meeting is scheduled for June 20. I encourage students, teachers and interested community members to attend.

Adult education classes are a chance for those who have had the least success in the school system and in the job market to upgrade and begin to become more successful. Why would we limit their opportunities at a time when education can make such a difference for them?