NLIS 6 March 30, 2006 (Education) The Right Choices: Investing in Education The Williams government is sending a strong signal that it recognizes the critical role education plays in both individual achievement and our overall success as a province, Joan Burke, Education Minister, announced today. Budget 2006 gives the province�s education system an infusion of more than $100 million. "This year�s budget allocation for education is a reflection of the input and expertise of the many people who contribute daily to education in our province and who have shared their knowledge and insight with us," said Minister Joan Burke. "Today, I am pleased to put forward initiatives and investments that speak directly to what we have heard from parents, students, teachers and other educators across the education system." New initiatives designed to improve student achievement, accelerate skills development, enhance aging infrastructure, support teachers and reduce the financial burden of education-related costs to parents rank among the highlights of this year�s budget. "Today, I am especially pleased with our investment of $6.3 million to essentially eliminate school fees. This will alleviate the undue stress and burden many of our families feel at the beginning of each school year because of school fees and the purchase of prescribed consumable materials. As we move to advance our knowledge in the areas of innovation, skills and technology, we have not lost sight of the fact that education is a fundamental right for every child and have taken measures to ensure all children will be afforded the same level of learning, regardless of their family�s income," said Minister Burke. Government is also taking an aggressive approach to prepare our students and adult learners for an economy that is increasingly based on skills and technology, to support the needs of industry and business and to position the province to take full advantage of current and future economic development. To determine how best to serve students and achieve success as a province, government considered individually, the cornerstones of the education system � teachers, resources, modern technology, healthy and safe learning environments and transportation. Attention to these areas is reflected in the following initiatives announced today as part of Budget 2006.
Safety and Health of Students Support for Local School Systems Commitment to Literacy Collaboration with Industry Skills Training and Apprenticeship Details of these and other initiatives of Budget 2006, including capital commitments for the K-12 system, will be announced in the coming weeks. Government�s commitment to, and recognition of, the importance of education has also been demonstrated by the following Budget 2006 initiatives announced recently: "We must not only support the very early stages of classroom learning, but position our students and the province to take advantage of emerging opportunities in preparation for an economy in which skills and technology are critical to our success," said Minister Burke. "The education initiatives in Budget 2006 are a significant step to help our students, teachers, parents and employers achieve their individual goals, and to move our province forward." Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, (709) 729-0048, 689-2624 2006 03 30 2:20 p.m. |
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