Students host rally for education funding

Parents, teachers, and students rallied in the rain outside Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday. (CTV)

Parents, teachers, and students rallied in the rain outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday to urge the provincial government to increase its funding for education.

The event, organized by the B.C. Student Alliance, brought student speakers from high schools around Metro Vancouver to address the gathered crowd about their educational experiences.

While the topics covered were diverse, organizer Dakota McGovern said they were all related because they highlighted the voices of students, voices McGovern said are being ignored.

“Right now, the province underfunds education, plain and simple,” he said. “And it’s designing a new curriculum, and it is not asking for student input. Students should also be the ones that help negotiate what this curriculum should be. So that is why we’re here. We’re here to emphasize student voice on these important topics.”

The Vancouver School Board recently announced its plan to close many schools in the city in a bid to save money.

The protesters also voiced concerns about overcrowded classrooms and a lack of support for children with special needs.