Nearly half of Alberta parents already choosing alternatives to mainstream public schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

17 February, 2026

CALGARY — Two-thirds of Alberta parents believe the province should fund whatever type of education best suits each student’s individual needs, according to a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with Cardus.

“Fully 67 percent of Alberta parents with school-aged children want government-funded access to education options tailored to what individual students need,” says Catharine Kavanagh, Western Stakeholder Director at Cardus.

Support for provincial funding of independent school students sits at 32 percent among Alberta parents. However, that figure jumps dramatically when parents are asked about specific circumstances. Two-thirds of parents support provincial funding for children with special needs who attend independent schools. Meanwhile, 42 percent agree that low-income families should receive funding if their children attend independent schools.

“Many Alberta families are already seeking alternatives to traditional public schooling,” says Kavanagh. “Nearly half of parents—45 percent—use some school option beyond mainstream public schools for their children.”

Parents are also digging into their pockets to supplement their children’s education. More than one-fifth are currently paying for tutoring in core subjects like math, reading, and science. Among those who use tutoring services, two-thirds pay between $100 and $500 per month. That pattern holds even among public school parents, where 66 percent also fall into that spending range.

“If parents were truly happy with the schooling options available to them, they wouldn’t be so willing to dig into their pockets to supplement the education their kids are receiving,” says Kavanagh. “Tutoring costs can add up quickly, possibly going above $6,000 annually for many families.”

The data on special needs funding is particularly striking. Special education services can be expensive and difficult to access in mainstream settings. Parents of children with disabilities or special needs often face long waitlists and limited options within traditional public schools.

Not surprisingly, when parents see government funding following a child with special needs to an independent school that can better serve them, support for flexible funding more than doubles. This suggests practical considerations around meeting individual student needs matter more to parents than the ideological tug-of-war between public schools and alternative education options.

Growing numbers of Alberta using educational alternatives, also challenges assumptions about parent satisfaction with public schools. With nearly half of parents choosing options beyond mainstream public education, the traditional one-size-fits-all model is too restrictive and limited to meet the diverse needs of Alberta families.

The survey data points to growing demand for an education funding system that prioritizes student needs over institutional structures. And the core message from parents is clear: flexibility matters, and funding should follow students to whatever educational setting serves them best.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES
Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Media & Public Relations
media@cardus.ca
613-899-5174

Shachi Kurl
Angus Reid Institute – President
shachi.kurl@angusreid.org
604-908-1693

Cardus – Imagination toward a thriving society
Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.