AIRDRIE - Amid growing concerns about overcrowded classrooms and inadequate support for students with special needs in Alberta's education system, concerned Airdrie parent Dustin Horlacher stood alongside Rakhi Pancholi, the Alberta NDP Education Critic, in a press conference aimed at drawing attention to these issues in Nose Creek Park on Aug. 30.
Horlacher, a father of a child with special needs, spoke about his motivations for joining the conference and advocating for positive change. He said his personal experience as a parent navigating the education system made him a strong advocate for change.
“I’m using the opportunity to try to advocate for my kids and other kids because I see and live the struggle - I’m trying to do something about it," said Horlacher.
According to Horlacher, his dedication to the cause stems from witnessing the challenges that both educators and students face within the current education landscape.
"These teachers are doing such a great job, but I see what they are going through - they need our help," he emphasized.
His concern for teachers' well-being and the learning environment echoes the broader sentiment shared by many parents and advocates in Alberta. Horlacher highlighted the need for additional support and resources in the province.
"I would like to see more help and support from the government,” he said. "We need more assistance, we need more teachers, the class sizes need to go down, (and) that will go a long way because there's always a kid that needs it more."
Horlacher’s remarks reflect the importance of equitable access to quality education for all students, regardless of their individual needs, agreed Pancholi.
Her presence alongside Horlacher in Airdrie, said Pancholi, underscored the urgency of addressing these issues at a policy level. Pancholi shared data and insights regarding the underfunding of education and its impact on class sizes and student supports.
"For four years, the UCP government has dramatically underfunded education," the NDP Education Critic said; “specifically here in Airdrie where the government is building only one new school despite thousands more students enrolling every year.”
Pancholi said this fact helped provide context for the concerns raised by parents like Horlacher.
As class sizes grow and resources remain strained, she stated, the call for government action becomes increasingly vital. The stories of parents like Horlacher, who are directly impacted by these issues, amplify the urgency of addressing overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources.
Horlacher and Pancholi’s hope was that these concerns would be taken seriously by policymakers, leading to comprehensive measures that support both educators and students in their pursuit of quality education.
“There are parent volunteers I know that have gone into school and end up helping all the other kids instead of their own because teachers are struggling that much; so the government needs to give them a little extra support, I think,” said Horlacher.
