Special ed funding changes ‘would put vulnerable kids at risk,’ BCTF president says
Posted March 18, 2019 5:46 pm.
Last Updated March 18, 2019 5:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – BC Teachers’ Federation President Glen Hansman says proposed changes to special education funding are disruptive and would put vulnerable kids at risk.
Hansman says delegates at the BCTF’s annual convention in Victoria have voted against using a so-called “prevalence model” already adopted by Ontario, but it hasn’t been approved yet by the provincial government.
“Already school districts don’t necessarily spend the dollars directly on students and this would remove it even further,” he says. “We’re very concerned teachers would be endlessly guessing which of their kids have learning disabilities and what they are.”
Under the prevalence model, he says, there would be fewer special needs assessments and diagnoses.
The B.C. Ministry of Education told NEWS 1130 in a statement that the BCTF is included in the five working groups considering the model, and no decisions have been made yet. They’re expected to report back to the Minister in the fall of this year.
The statement concludes: “No matter how we fund special education, individual assessments for students’ needs will continue.”
