Study
| EST. READ TIME 2 MIN.Eliminating funding for independent schools would likely further strain public school resources in B.C.
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Deani Van Pelt
Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Deani Van Pelt is a Senior Fellow and Former Director of the Barbara Mitchell Centre for Improvement in Education at theFraser Institute. Following her studies at McMaster University (B.Comm.) and the University of Toronto (B.Ed.) she taught mathematics and business subjects in both public and private secondary schools. She then completed her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Education at The University of Western Ontario where she was awarded the Bishop Townshend Gold Medal Award for excellence in graduate studies. From 2006 to 2014 she served at Redeemer University College, first as Assistant Professor and then as Associate Professor of Education. During this time she led several international research collaborations funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, taught a variety of courses including Systems of Education, and was Director of Teacher Education for four years. Her research and publications in Canadian education policy include studies in home schooling, independent schooling and education funding. She has presented numerous times over the last two decades in academic and practitioner conferences across North America. Recently a co-author of the Fraser Institute studies Education Spending in Canada: What’s Really Happening? and Financial Savings: Restructuring Education in Ontario Using the British Columbia Model, she continues to appear on TV and in radio talk shows across Canada. Her work has been featured in many Canadian newspapers including the National Post and Globe and Mail and she has served as an expert witness.… Read more -
Sazid Hasan
Sazid Hasan is a former economist at the Fraser Institute who worked on fiscal, health, and education policy. He received his M.A.in economics from Simon Fraser University. He also holds an M.S.S. and B.S.S. (honours), both in economics, from the University of Dhaka. He worked on his graduate project at the Research Data Centre of Statistics Canada, where he examined the impact of a tax credit on labour supply. He has presented his academic research at the annual conferences of Canadian Economics Association. His commentaries have appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Winnipeg Sun, and La Presse.… Read more -
Niels Veldhuis
President, Fraser InstituteNiels Veldhuis serves as President of the Fraser Institute, Canada’s most influential think tank.In his over 20-plus-year career in publicpolicy, Niels has authored six books and more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on a wide range of economic topics. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book, The Canadian Century.Highly regarded for his opinions and perspectives on major economic and social issues, Niels appears regularly in the media across Canada and the United States. He has written hundreds of commentaries that have appeared in over 50 newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, Wall Street Journal, National Post, and The Economist.Known for his ability to explain matters of economics and government policy in a down-to-earth and easily understood manner, Niels travels widely across North America. His speaking engagements extend to diverse audiences, including business groups, corporate gatherings, community organizations, and students.Niels has had the privilege of sharing the stage and moderating discussions with prominent business and political leaders from around the world. Notable individuals include Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. He has also moderated discussions with distinguished Canadian journalists such as Chantal Herbert, Andrew Coyne, and Rex Murphy, as well as diplomats such as Canada’s Ambassador to China and Israel’s Ambassador to Canada. Niels moderated a discussion between United States Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in 2011 and has facilitated conversations with impactful authors like Mosab Hassan Yousef (author of "Son of Hamas") and Lord Conrad Black.Niels Veldhuis is an alumnus of Simon Fraser University, was one of Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver in 2010, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).… Read more