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The Minister of Education, Roger Grimes, announced today that steps have been taken to solve the student assistant problem being experienced in some areas of the province.

For the fiscal year 1997-98, government established a $6.7 million budget for the Student Assistant Program. This budget reflected a $200,000 increase above and beyond the level of needs established in the 1996-97 school district profiles. These profiles provided student-specific information on a school-by-school basis.

In 1990, the budget for student assistants provided for 1,300 hours per day across the province. In 1997, following a decline in enrolment of approximately 25,000 students, the budget provided for 2,600 per day. In other words, as the population continued to decline, the budget continued to increase to a point where the actual level of service has doubled.

In 1997, the Department of Education made a decision to block fund school boards based on the 1996-97 profiles. Since September, the department has been faced with requests for up to 35 per cent increases in funding for this program. Over the past two months, the department has been trying to determine why a problem of this magnitude emerges following a decision to block fund. While many factors come into play, it is fair to say the department is still not satisfied that the nature and extent of the problem is fully understood.

However, in an attempt to address the immediate problem for the balance of the 1997-98 school year, the department has provided for an additional 200 hours per day of student assistant time at a cost of just over $200,000, which brings the total amount to $6.9 million for this year.

These hours are designed to address the current most severe needs in the system, including those children who are currently out of school because insufficient student assistant time may have been assigned.

Given that the actions over the past two months have not contributed to a long term resolution of this issue, Mr. Grimes said, "for the next school year the Department of Education plans to conduct a comprehensive school-by-school profiling of the nature and level of support services needs of students. Based on this profile, the department will allocate student assistants in a manner which will guarantee that the most extensive needs of students are addressed on a priority basis. In this regard, parents of children with extensive support services needs can be assured that the resources will be provided to meet those needs."

Contact: Carl Cooper, (709) 729-5040.