Students concerned proposed cuts in Calgary schools would hurt struggling families

Wednesday marked the deadline for people to submit their views on some controversial changes proposed in Calgary high schools.

Some students say those changes would hurt many struggling families.

The proposal would have an impact on the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which currently offers advanced academic learning in five public high schools in Calgary.

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is looking at scenarios which would eliminate the program at one of two schools, John G. Diefenbaker in the city’s northwest or Lester B. Pearson in the northeast.

“Both schools (are) in areas that are among the two lowest socioeconomic regions of the city,” Diefenbaker IB student Siraaj Shah said. “A lot of the students in the IB program are students who have parents working two to three jobs, parents who are working 12 hours a day just to get food on the table and what IB does is that it enables the students to have the opportunity to achieve a great degree of academic and community success.”

The CBE says ending the IB program at one of the schools would help balance enrolment throughout the school system and save $16,000 in licensing costs.

“It doesn’t necessarily make sense that the CBE would deny lower-income students the chance to thrive in these sorts of environments, only for a mere $16,000,” Shah said.

The CBE told Global News Wednesday that it didn’t have anyone available for an interview, but did provide a statement, which reads in part:

“It is possible to have fewer locations, while maintaining the quality of learning opportunities.”

The CBE says students at Diefenbaker or Pearson could apply to attend IB programs at other Calgary schools.

“Those transportation costs also bring an issue into play of, how would that impact students and their families, especially those who are struggling to put food on the table,” Diefenbaker IB student Azaad Gill said.

Students are also concerned that caps on IB programs could leave them shut out.

“What that means is that the students from lower socioeconomic communities, who aren’t designated to those schools specifically, they won’t get that opportunity to pursue IB,” Shah said. “It’s not very egalitarian, where you have students from richer parts of the city who have more opportunities than students who are from lower-income communities of the city.”

The CBE is expected to finalize its plans on the future of the IB program in the fall of 2021.

“If somehow we can figure out a way to keep as many programs as we can and still allow students to have those kinds of opportunities, I think that would be the most beneficial for everyone,” Diefenbaker IB student Tia Wong said.