In Alberta’s ongoing teachers’ strike, a significant concern revolves around class sizes. The province no longer collects specific data on class sizes, making it challenging to determine the exact extent of class size increases. Previously, Alberta annually published detailed class size information for over 1,500 schools, but this practice was discontinued by the newly elected UCP government in 2019.
Furthermore, the government altered the funding formula for school boards in 2020, shifting from annual enrollment growth-based funding to a three-year “weighted moving average” (WMA) model. This change has been particularly criticized by larger school boards in rapidly expanding urban areas.
The transition to the new funding formula coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to fluctuations in student enrollment. The use of previous enrollment figures in the calculations of the new formula resulted in reduced funding for many school boards. Complaints about the funding model persist, with concerns raised about its impact on class sizes and funding deficits.
While the exact impact of the new funding formula on class sizes remains unclear due to the discontinuation of class size data collection by the government, an analysis of available data indicates a disparity between the growth of teaching staff and student enrollment. According to the provincial government’s budget documents, there has been a notable increase in certificated staff compared to student enrollment since 2021.
The Alberta government’s recent introduction of a two-year weighted average funding model aims to address some of the challenges posed by the previous three-year model. Despite this change, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) asserts that more than 5,000 additional teachers are needed to meet recommended pupil-teacher ratios.
While detailed class size data is no longer collected at the provincial level, Edmonton Public Schools still track this information, indicating that many schools have class sizes exceeding recommended levels. Experts emphasize the importance of transparent data collection, highlighting the significance of student-teacher ratios as a crucial performance indicator in the education system.