This is what reinforcing structural inequality looks like. The policy looks fair on the surface because it’s the same amount per child. But schools that charge tuition already have small class sizes, which is what the money is intended to support. (1/5) #ableg #abed https://twitter.com/jillianratti/status/1301217656201195523

And the families of the students at those schools pay tuition, which means that the school populations are wealthier than average.

Those schools, and the wealthier families who attend them, will get money they don’t need, to put in place measures they already have.

Public schools in Alberta have very large class sizes. Without additional funds, they CANNOT decrease sizes and lower transmission risk. That’s where the need is. And directing funds to schools that already have those measures mean this need cannot be met.

Imagine if, instead of paying for wheelchairs for people who need them, the government gave everyone, regardless of need, enough money to buy crutches. That would be ridiculous, right?

Equal is not equitable. This federal funding should be targeted where it is needed, where it will make measurable differences in class sizes and transmission risk. That’s what it is for. And that need is in the public system.

But how would we make it fair? Allocate on the basis of average class size. The government and school authorities have that data. Maybe weight it so that large elementary classes, where kids are less able to take individual measures, count for more.