Alberta education minister concerned about private school funding petition

Alberta's education minister says cutting government funding to private schools would only escalate the pressure faced by the province's strained public school system.

Demetrios Nicolaides says thousands of children would need to find new schools to attend, likely public schools, which he says are already under immense pressure.

The funding cut is a move one Calgary teacher is hoping to put to a vote.

This week Alberta's chief electoral officer approved the teacher's proposed referendum question, which asks: ``Should the Government of Alberta end its current practice of allocating public funds to accredited independent (private) schools?''

The teacher behind the proposal will need to collect 177,000 signatures in four months to get the question on a ballot.

About five per cent, or $461 million, of the government's education budget this year is set aside for private schools.