Low Marks

Not a lot of news to report from the Alberta Election campaign so I'm going to highlight a topic which I know will never become an issue in this election, yet probably should. Here are the Macleans Universities rankings. Glance at the list...and keep glancing...you might have to go a ways down to find the Alberta Universities on it. Admittedly, U of A is doing OK. But the U of Calgary and U of Lethbridge are disasters. How can the richest province in Canada, with the youngest population in the country not have this country's best schools? Studies have shown education to be the best investment any government can make in terms of long term payback. And yet...the Klein government has ignored the needs of post-secondary (and secondary...and primary) education in this province.

Here's what the provincial Liberals have to say:

Edmonton

The Alberta Liberals would commit 35 per cent of annual budget surpluses to establish a Post-Secondary Endowment Fund, Leader Kevin Taft announced today.
Taft, who made the announcement at the Telus Centre for Professional Development, called the fund an investment in human potential.
We will continue year-after-year to build the endowment, protecting and growing the principal, said Taft. And use the investment returns to support our apprenticeship and trades programs, to expand program options across the province and to achieve excellence across the system.
The same foresight our parents and grandparents had is needed today, to lay the foundations for the next Alberta, for the economy and society we want after oil and gas

Makes sense, eh? If you're going to make a stability/heritage/piggy bank fund, the money in it should be invested in the future - hence, education. A great policy idea which will be completely ignored by the electorate.