Government Funding and Adventist Education

don · 05-24-09 11:47 am

School stays open despite low enrolment <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/6/1333.jpg" alt=""> In British Columbia, private schools get paid a certain amount for each student enroled. How does SDA doctrine of the separation of church and state inform our practice of accepting such money? By Molly McNulty - Terrace Standard May 19, 2009 11:00 PM <blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:SPRING CREEK Adventist Christian School will stay open this fall, despite lower than average student numbers. The school is experiencing its lowest student totals in some years, and was hoping for four more students before May 1, the government’s cutoff date to report on student numbers. By that date, the school did not meet the required 10 FTE students, so it will receive 15 per cent less money per student from the government in order to operate next year. Principal of the school – which is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – Tammy Braman says it will stay open and that they hope to bring in more students in the months leading up to September. “We’re going to be okay, we’re looking at some debt but it’s easier to stay open and bring us out of debt later,” says Braman. The church mainly covers whatever costs remain after they receive money from the government, but with the shortfall this year they will have to find more money from somewhere else. “The church already gives a lot...normally we’re okay with the 50 per cent (from the government), it usually covers it okay,” says Braman. “Now we’re down to 35 per cent, so 15 per cent of our budget we have to find somewhere else to cover it.” The school has been in operation for more than 50 years, and Braman says they decided to go ahead because of some very dedicated parents. “If it wasn’t for the government regulation (of having at least 10 students in order to be considered a school) they would run the school if they only had four or two kids,” says Braman in regards to the parents. “We want the school open...we’re doing everything we can to keep things running...we need to get as many students as we can so we can keep running efficiently.” The school – which instructs students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 – is still offering free tuition for students wishing for a private Christian education. Braman hopes they can bring in students in the lower grades in order to boost the numbers in the following years. Braman also says the school’s goal is to reach 20 students in order to have two full-time teachers. At the moment, the school is looking at 13 to 14 students enrolled for next fall, but it has until the end of September to fill up spots. “We’re happy...but we’re still really wanting to have more students, we’re still working towards that,” says Braman. <a href="http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/45413122.html" target=_top>http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terracestandard/news/45413122.html</a> <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

elaine · 05-24-09 2:17 pm

It seems that there could be a potential problem. However, I was unaware of Canadian government funding for schools. Could you please tell us a little more: do they subsidize all schools, K-12 or higher? On what basis? I believe that it would be possible for some subsidization, such as government-supplied textbooks (not religious ones) and such. Do they susbidize the school where you teach? If so, what are the restrictions? Is it dependent on each province, or from the central government?

don · 05-24-09 6:53 pm

Could you please tell us a little more: do they subsidize all schools, K-12 or higher? On what basis? I believe that it would be possible for some subsidization, such as government-supplied textbooks (not religious ones) and such. Do they susbidize the school where you teach? If so, what are the restrictions? Is it dependent on each province, or from the central government? Education is a provincial (state) matter. So practice varies across the country. Since 1977, B.C. has subsidized independent schools at 30% of the cost per student of the public schools. Newfoundland schools used to be solely run by the churches. Ontario has a fully-funded separate school board for the Roman Catholic church. This Ontario right of the RCC was enshrined in the constitution when Canada was formed. __________________________________ Further reading 1977 Independent Schools Support Act provides per student funding at 30 per cent of operating costs at public schools in British Columbia. <a href="http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/1320/" target=_top>http://www.catholicregister.org/content/view/1320/</a> (This author is against the subsity.) Thanks to the passage of the Independent Schools Support Act in 1977, a qualifying school can now receive up to 50% of its annual operating costs. A typical public-school student in B.C. costs about $5,400 a year to educate, so that means independent schools can receive up to $2,700 per student. In total, the province spent $158 million to support the education of some 60,000 children enrolled in independent schools last year. <a href="http://www.citizenscentre.com/comment/03-06-09%20bc.txt" target=_top>http://www.citizenscentre.com/comment/03-06-09%20b c.txt</a> March 30, 1977, marks the day that Bill 33, dealing with grants for independent schools, was introduced in the House. After months of sporadic debate, and many hours of consultations with FISA President John Waller, Vice-President Case Pel, and Executive Director Gerry Ensing, the Bill passed third reading on September 7, 1977, to become the Independent Schools Support Act, followed by its proclamation on September 27, 1977. The Act made per student grants available to qualifying independent schools that amounted to a maximum of thirty per cent (about $500) of the per student operating costs of the local public school districts. Curricular and other obligations that the legislation provided for posed no threat to the schools' independence, and it was at the discretion of the schools whether or not to participate in the funding scheme. The celebrations were on and in the supporting religious communities prayers of thanksgiving were offered. <a href="http://www.fisabc.ca/About-FISA/History" target=_top>http://www.fisabc.ca/About-FISA/History</a> A segment of the 1987 BC Royal Commission on Education <a href="http://www.fisabc.ca/Resource-Library/Royal-Commission" target=_top>http://www.fisabc.ca/Resource-Library/Royal-Commis sion</a> .

elaine · 05-25-09 12:02 am

How has the Adventist church, and educational department related to all of this? Do they take a position, or gladly accept all the money?

don · 05-25-09 8:30 am

Do they take a position, or gladly accept all the money? I think both. The debate goes way back, if my memory serves me correctly, to a donation of land for Solusi mission. Emma Howell (1935) in her Great Advent Movement reports of how the Solusi Mission began:<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:The Matabele People: Our Solusi Mission.—The first real Seventh-day Adventist mission work for heathen people was begun among the Matabeles in Southern Rhodesia, Africa. The Matabeles are related to the Zulus, a strong, warring tribe. Attempts to open work among them were of no avail as long as the hostile native rulers held sway, but in 1893 the British government took possession of the country. Our Foreign Mission Board felt that this was the opportune time to act, and plans were laid to begin mission work. European believers in the Cape Colony quickly raised a fund of $2,500 to assist in this mission work, and negotiations were begun to secure a location for the mission. At that time the Honorable Cecil J. Rhodes was prime minister of Cape Colony and managing director of the British South African Company, which controlled the territory of Southern Rhodesia. Our workers (among them Peter Wessels) interviewed Mr. Rhodes about land for a mission station. Mr. Rhodes calmly wrote a note, put it in a sealed envelope, and directed them to hand it to Doctor Jameson in Bulawayo. They knew not a word of its contents, but were encouraged to go ahead with their plans by Mr. Rhodes's comment that he was "glad to give the land for opening an industrial mission in Rhodesia." He said. "I have learned that missionaries are better than soldiers for keeping peace among the natives, and it is much less expensive." After six weeks of travel in a covered wagon drawn by mules, our workers presented the sealed envelope to Doctor Jameson. "How much land do you people want?" asked Doctor Jameson. "Well, Doctor," Mr. Wessels hesitatingly replied, "the facts are, we ought to have 12,000 acres, but it will depend on the terms upon which we get it." "Terms!" exclaimed Dr. Jameson. "Rhodes commands me to give you all the land you can make use of. Do you want better terms than that ?" Soon our first mission station among the heathen was opened about thirty-five miles from Bulawayo. The missionaries named it "Solusi," after the head chief of the largest krall, or village, on the place. Here they began work with 150 head of cattle, a wagon, and some tools. pp. 230-231 <a href="http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/TGAM/TGAM/index.djvu?djvuopts&page=230" target=_top>http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/TGAM/TGAM/in dex.djvu?djvuopts&page=230</a> <!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

george · 05-25-09 10:04 am

Hi guys, I taught at Sandy Lake Academy and was principal for three years. In Nova Scotia we get a book allotment from the NS government based on enrollment. Everyone here is envious of BC for all the government aid they get. I haven't heard anybody having concerns about the government being involved. Sandy Lake Academy is well known and accepted by the province. In fact, one of the previous premiers sent his daughter to Sandy Lake. The universities here accept all the SLA credits. The school has been in operation since 1927.

don · 05-25-09 10:21 am

Hi Sirje, Thanks for the Sandy Lake info... This may further our discussion: Declaration of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Church-State Relations <a href="http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/other_documents/other_doc8.html" target="_blank">http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/other_documents/o ther_doc8.html</a> .

george · 05-25-09 2:19 pm

Hi, I need to amend my post. I think we got funding only for the French program. The elementary had SDA books anyway and the high school had to pay for the texts as I remember - it's been a while ... We got teachers from BC and they felt handicapped with the lack of funds for materials. My daughter transferred to public school in her junior year and they gave her "ancient history" credit for the Bible classes at SLA.

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#1 05-24-09 11:47 am

Government Funding and Adventist Education

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