Private school demand rises, while public enrolment declines
Posted October 30, 2012 7:17 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Demand for private schools is definitely on the rise, with thousands of kids currently on a waiting list to get into one.
Research done by the Fraser Institute is based on a survey of independent schools throughout the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley. It finds more than 2,100 students are on a wait list.
Part of the problem is one of physical space, and the study recommends the provincial government allow private schools access to empty public facilities to meet demand.
“Taxpayers are paying the cost of an idle public school while at the same time, there’s a bunch of parents who want their kids in independent schools who can’t afford to build a school or they can’t find premises that are appropriate to lease or rent,” says study author and Fraser Institute Executive Vice President Jason Clemens.
He also finds while public school enrolment has declined by more than 11 per cent since 1997-1998, demand for private schools has gone up by more than double that.
