The Auditor General’s report on the state of seismic upgrades highlights that the Campbell government has broken its promise to make schools safe for B.C.’s children, New Democrat education critic Norm Macdonald said today.
“The report by the Auditor General is clear – the Campbell government has not met its target to fast-track seismic upgrades for the 80 most at-risk schools in the province. Their budget is unrealistic, and they have failed to adequately support and consult with boards of education in the process,” said Macdonald.
“The Campbell government is falling way behind on this issue,” said Macdonald. “If the government continues to move at this slow pace it will be the grandchildren of today’s students who will finally be learning in seismically safe buildings.”
In March 2005 the Campbell government committed to completing 80 of the highest-priority projects within three years. To date, according to the Auditor General, it has only completed 30, has begun another 33, and has approved funding for 17 more.
In the report Planning for School Seismic Safety, released today, the Auditor General asks the Ministry of Education for an implementation plan to fulfill the recommendations put forward, and urges the government to deal with the imbalance between funding and real costs of the projects, and to finally settle on a delivery model.