By Charles Lefebvre

Eggen threatens to pull funding for private schools without GSA policies

Nov 14, 2018 | 4:35 PM

EDMONTON, AB — Education Minister David Eggen says he will pull government funding from 28 private schools in the province if they do not have a compliant Gay Straight Alliance policy in place by the end of the school year.

During a news conference Wednesday morning, Eggen provided an update on how schools in the province were complying with the province’s legislation regarding gay-straight alliances.

Last year, the province passed Bill 24, requiring all school boards in Alberta to allow gay-straight alliances in their schools. The plans need to be clearly posted on each school’s website.

Eggen says the majority of schools have created plans, including all public, Catholic, charter and Francophone schools. However, 28 out of 94 private schools have not.

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A full list can be found here. In southern Alberta, this includes the Newell Christian School Society in Brooks and the 40 Mile Christian Education Society.

Eggen says he has put ministerial orders in place to have policies regarding gay-straight alliances in place at those schools. If they continue to not comply with the legislation by June 30, Eggen says the province will remove its funding for the 2019 school year.

“Following this law is not optional,” Eggen said during the conference. “Ensuring that vulnerable students feel safe is not optional in the province of Alberta. Not in today’s Alberta, and not when you receive up to 70 per cent of your funding from taxpayers, as private schools do in this province.”

Eggen says approximately 4,000 students attend the private schools in question, and says the deadline is in place to ensure there is no disruption in the middle of the school year.