Melanie Caldwell said her son Bradley won't get the one-on-one attention he needs with the proposed cuts at the Calgary Board of Education. CBC

Alberta Liberal MLA Kent Hehr attacked the provincial government Tuesday over big cuts at the Calgary Board of Education.

The public school board is cutting support staff like speech therapists and psychologists to cover a multi-million-dollar budget gap.

The CBE lost $62 million in funding from the provincial government this year.

The board plans to eliminate 172 positions before the new school year in September.

Hehr, who held a news conference in Calgary, said children would be made to suffer because of the province's inability to budget properly.

"You look at simply class numbers and support staff. When the government is involved in cutting ... services in the classroom, it can only impair these children's ability to do the best they can in life," said Hehr, who represents Calgary-Buffalo.

He placed the blame on the provincial government, rather than the CBE, which he sees as doing what it must given its financial situation.

"The boards have been set up to take the brunt for these type of decisions," Hehr said, adding the province needs to find the money to "properly fund education."

Local MLAs at fault: union local

Melanie Caldwell is one of the parents whose children will be affected.

"This will affect my family hugely, especially Bradley here," said Caldwell. "He has severe special needs.... He does learn, he learns very well. He's actually above average in intellect, but has a communication disorder that needs a lot of one-on-one attention that with the proposed budget cuts he will not get."

A spokeswoman for the teachers' union said the city's MLAs aren't doing enough to fight for education funding.

"I blame the Calgary caucus and I blame treasury, because I know our minister has been advocating for years for what's appropriate for education. I believe in Dave [Hancock], I'm just not sure I can believe in the rest of them," said Jenny Regal, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association Local 138.

Learning leaders, who teach teachers, will likely be moved back into the classroom as part of the cuts.

CBE board chairwoman Pat Cochrane said when the cuts were announced that there could be some attrition or retirements, but newly hired teachers could be out of a job as well.