The Calgary Board of Education says that millions of dollars in school fees are being waived for parents who just can’t cover the costs in the difficult economy, but one group says the government needs to do more.

‘Support Our Students’, is calling on the government to eliminate school fees province-wide because it says an increasing amount of families are needing to choose between paying fees or paying for rent and groceries.

That’s something that Barbara Silva, communication director with the group, says should never happen.

“It disproportionately affects people who are in financial distress at this point. They find it a stress to make ends meet in this economy. They’re finding that the second hurdle if they can’t make it is the waiver process. For some schools, it means coming in and having an in-person interview or applying online. For people for whom English is a second language or those who may not have access to a computer, that creates another hurdle.”

Silva says ‘Support Our Students’ has one simple aim.

“We advocate that we, as a society, need to have a re-commitment and refocus our energies on what a true public education system looks like and that’s one without fees.”

Silva says that the money generated through school fees can be made up through other means.

“Currently, what’s happening is the user fee. The people who are using the system have to pay for it through a flat tax. So that’s disproportionately affecting people who are living in and around the poverty line. We know that the investment in education pays dividends further down the line. If that money that we are all paying into the pot can be redirected, refocused and refunded towards public education, that’s what we advocate for.”

She adds that the high cost of fees also creates stress and puts up barriers for students whose families can’t afford to pay.

That stress can also negatively affect the students who are attending school, Silva says.

“Children internalize that type of stress if they are feeling it in the home. A lot of forms that indicate outstanding fees go home through the child so children know they haven’t paid their fees. When children internalize that type of stress, it becomes more difficult for them to learn and they are less able to integrate into their school communities.”

In 2014-15, the CBE waived $3M in fees for parents who couldn’t afford them.

The NDP did campaign on lowering fees by half, but have since said that lower energy revenues made that promise impossible to fulfill.