Governments in Atlantic Canada are over-spending on public education. A new study shows that between 2004 and 2014, the provinces spent significantly more money, even as enrollment went down.
Adjusted for price changes, Atlantic Canada’s per-student subsidies increased 27 percent over a decade, amounting to about 2,700 more per child. It is unclear what all this extra funding achieved, since the performance of our students remains a concern.
From now on, the government should only increase the education budget for inflation or higher enrollment levels. Otherwise, it should hold the line on spending.
The education department should not be growing when the number of students is dropping.