The provincial election heated up at the Alberta Teacher's Association candidate forum on Saturday.

Many of the opposition parties said the Tories were not providing enough funding for the education system.

"We need to look where the need is and make decisions," Liberal leader Raj Sherman said.

Sherman added he believed the province needed at least 1,000 new teachers and that they would have to increase provincial revenues to maintain the system.

"We're going to have to raise taxes on the wealthiest and the big corporations to pay for a world class education system," Sherman explained.

"This is pork-barrel politics. If you be quiet, we'll fix your school or give you a new one if you vote for us," he added referring to a letter sent from PC MLA Hector Goudreau to a Northern School Board earlier this month.

The Wildrose party agreed.

"All of these capital infrastructure decisions have been hideously politicized," Vitor Marciano told the audience.

Goudreau has since expressed regret at penning the letter but some remain critical.

"There is a very imbalanced relationship between school boards and the province. There is a culture of fear it's not just health care that has that problem it runs through many, many areas," Alberta Party candidate Sue Huff told CTV News.

"It's a very behind closed door process that we have right now," NDP's Rachel Notley agreed.

However, the critics didn't faze current Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.

"At the end of the day I have to tell you it feels good being a minister in this government in this province at this point in time," he said.

"We are in the top four education systems in the world."

Lukaszuk did tell media that the province was in need of more schools but funding was the biggest drawback.

"If we are to build that many schools we have to look at alternative funding over those schools.

"We will be looking at a variety of vehicles, either internal or external, to make sure that kids today get the schools that they need today," he explained.

Regardless of political stripe teachers said they were all looking for the same things; job security, more reliable funding and better infrastructure.

"The furnaces are breaking down or you're having water leaks and you have to evacuate. Those schools need to be fixed," Joanne Boissonneult said.

"It's all about success and how can we have student success if we don't offer them services."

With files from Sean Amato