Eggen happy ‘out of control’ school fees now reduced

Alberta’s Minister of Education is gearing up for another school year and says parents won’t be feeling such empty pockets.
 
As classes begin at most schools across the province on Thursday, David Eggen is lauding his government’s June decision to reduce school fees as one that will save families around $54 million.
 
Cuts include the elimination of fees for textbooks, workbooks, photocopying, printing and paper, as well as for students who travel further than 2.4 km on a bus to get to school.
 
“If we could break it down for Red Deer for example, we figure kids will be saving about $100 for public schools and about $76 for Catholic schools with the instructional supply and materials reduction,” Eggen says. “We know that we’re starting to see the economy recover, but these school fees have been a burden and kind of out of control for a long time, so we have taken steps to reduce fees and we will continue to do so in the future.”
 
Eggen adds the other impetus for eliminating fees is to ensure accountability and that there are no longer excessive fees. No service levels or other in-school special events are affected, he continues.
 
Asked if there are any challenges his ministry faces heading into a new year of classes, Eggen says the biggest issue is actually a good one to have.
 
“We’ve seen a continued increase in enrollment, especially in urban areas. We’re building schools, I believe 53 new schools opening in the next couple weeks, and that’s amazing quite frankly. We are in the biggest school build in the history of the province,” he says. “It was quite high time — there was a big popualtion growth for many years and we are meeting that demand and building the foundation for a strong future.”
 
Eggen says Alberta’s population, the youngest in all of Canada, is very urbanized, which has allowed for the formation of strong school systems.
 
“There are always challenges when you’re starting up an operation which has about 650,000 kids, 44,000 teachers and more than 1700 schools. The level of professionalism and expertise we have throughout the province makes it work. I’m just so proud and excited for the school year coming up,” says Eggen.
 
“Everybody can be proud to be sending kids to school here in the province.”