Cash to ‘non-funded’ Manitoba schools tops $100K

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This article was published 10/07/2023 (874 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Contrary to their shared title, Manitoba’s non-funded independent schools — which do not have to employ certified teachers or use provincial curriculum — are eligible for funding and the province spent more than $100,000 on them in 2022-23.

Manitoba Education’s budget to reimburse private schools for “curricular materials” has been on the rise, along with the number of academies eligible for taxpayer support, in recent years.

Non-funded schools, many of them akin to large-scale homeschools without websites that explain their programs, can apply for $60 per attendee annually to pay for workbooks, manuals, magazines, copyright fees, and other educational expenses.

The province spent $69,028 in total five years ago. That figure was $100,200 during the latest school year.

The number of eligible private schools has nearly doubled over the last decade, to 61 in 2022 from 35 in 2012 . In the last year, nine schools, including seven colony schools that shed their public school designations, have come on board.

Asked about what curriculums are green-lit for their use, a government spokesperson indicated the department does not maintain a list of lesson plans because each school’s programming is unique and varied.

“Non-funded independent schools use curriculum of their choice and the department determines if the combination of educational materials and curriculum meets the standard of equivalence (of a public school education),” the spokesperson said.

“The public has a right to know what people are being taught and they have a right to know how their money is being spent,” said John Wiens, a retired public school superintendent and dean emeritus of the largest faculty of education in Manitoba.

Wiens said he was surprised to learn non-funded schools can apply for provincial funding of any kind. A self-described public schools advocate, he called the notion of supporting families to keep their children separated from the rest of society for private interests “a problem.”

Private school administrators and their supporters hold a different view.

As far as independent school consultant Bruce Neal is concerned, $60 is a small price to pay per student and homeschoolers should be able to tap into the grant. The grant would cover the price of a single science textbook, he noted.

The consultant, who recently retired from St. John’s-Ravenscourt School after a lengthy career at the Winnipeg institution, said the most popular reasons parents opt out of public education are related to faith, a private academy’s prestigious academic reputation, and concerns about a child’s safety and security.

“(Manitoba’s school system) is a good compromise. If you live in a multicultural society that values inclusion, then having respect for the cultural and religious values of people is a good thing,” he said, noting other provinces fully support Catholic schools, but not other faith-based classrooms.

Last year, about 212,000 Manitoba children and youth were registered in public schools — in which nearly nine in 10 students are enrolled — funded independent schools, non-funded independent schools and homeschools.

Non-funded schools recorded the largest enrolment increase of all categories in 2022-23 — 11 per cent.

The public school population grew by three per cent.

To achieve funded status, a private school must register as a non-funded entity, hire certified teachers, implement local curriculum, follow other provincial regulations and undergo monitoring for two years.

Fort Richmond’s Avicenna Academy, a new Islamic elementary school with two dozen attendees, is in the process of obtaining funded status. Principal Mohamed Ramadan said a provincial officer visits the school about once every three months to observe teaching practices and ensure the building is aligned with government laws and policies.

Historically, the majority of non-funded schools have embraced limited government oversight and maintained that status. Nearly 90 per cent of the ones that were registered with Manitoba Education a decade ago remain in that category.

The Manitoba NDP’s education critic said the province’s “hollowed out” education department does not have enough resources to adequately monitor this growing group.

“It’s the wild west out there… That’s why these liaison officers have their work cut out for them,” said Nello Altomare, a retired principal who is the MLA for Transcona. “They have to ensure you’re getting an equivalent education that you’re getting in a public school.”

Wiens suggested the province should consider funding public school divisions to take on inspections and oversee the lessons in non-funded schools within their borders.

Education Minister Wayne Ewasko was not available for an interview Monday.

In a statement, a spokesperson for his office said non-funded independent school families, much like homeschool parents, have the freedom to choose programming.

“We believe parents have their own right to choose and know what is best for their child(ren) and should have a say over their child’s education,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie