Reflections on Canadian Education Finance Developments.

The study reported in this paper looked at the manner in which education in Canada is being financially supported and the potential consequences this support will have for the future. For the most part, Canadian provinces have in-place funding mechanisms that put them in sole control of finances; local fiscal autonomy has all but disappeared. Canadian courts have said essentially that provincial governments have the right the change the funding of education as long as the change results in a fair and nondiscriminatory distribution of funds. The generation and allocation of funds for public education appear to have been replaced in priority with local use of funds and the professional competence of educators. This shift in priority has the potential to affect to a significant degree the current and upcoming generation of students more than the more traditional priority of funding alone. Equity of educational opportunity not only demands fiscal equalization, but also education equalization--both must work together in practice. This study concludes that the finances for public education in Canada are not in bad shape. What is slowing progress, however, is the friction among those within the system and those interacting with the system. This is a communication problem, not a finance problem. (DFR)