A former Member of the Legislative Assembly and Conservative talking head Bruce McAllister came under fire after suggesting a high school student should be “spanked” or “bent over a knee” during a public Q&A session about education funding.
It happened when a teen tried to ask why Alberta gives private schools hundreds of millions in public funding while refusing to properly pay teachers. Before he could finish his question, someone cut his microphone.
Bruce McAllister responded that the student’s question “didn’t make any sense.” Then came the shocking comment about spanking, which prompted audible groans and boos from the audience.
The student later explained he wanted to ask about Alberta’s controversial funding model. The province gives private schools 70% of the per-student funding that public schools receive. That’s on top of the tuition fees private schools charge parents.
This amounts to over $461m in taxpayer money going to private schools this year alone. That number is expected to reach $544m by 2027–28. Meanwhile, only about 5% of Alberta students attend private schools.
The confrontation comes at a tense time for Alberta education. Teachers just voted to reject the government’s latest contract offer by a massive 90% margin. They’re planning strike action starting Monday.
Teachers say the government’s “new” offer is basically the same one they rejected last spring. The only addition? A free COVID-19 vaccine. The deal doesn’t keep up with inflation or address overcrowded classrooms that often have more than 30 students.
Alberta gives more public money to private schools per student than any other Canadian province. By comparison, Ontario gives private schools exactly zero dollars in per-student funding.
Corporal punishment has been illegal in Canadian schools for decades. Even suggesting it at an education forum is considered wildly inappropriate, especially from the person in charge of the entire education system.
The minister’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment about what happened.
