The Manitoba government announced $58-million dollars in funding for the 2021-22 school year, to ensure pandemic protection and resources to support mental health and well-being for students and staff.
Investments for the next school year will include:
- $40 million for the per-pupil allocation to school divisions and independent schools for additional staffing, learning and technology, and health and safety
- $6 million for potential costs for PPE
- $5 million for the Kindergarten to Grade 8 Remote Learning Support Centre for students who are medically compromised
- $7 million in contingency including a $5-million recovery learning fund
The recovery learning contingency fund will be used to address the impacts of the pandemic on student learning. It will support several streams including:
- mental health and wellness
- literacy and numeracy
- planning and assessment
- student engagement
- professional learning
Manitoba’s education minister, Cliff Cullen, says for the current school year, the province is projected to invest up to $170 million by the end of June including $85 million in federal contributions.
It is anticipated there will be some level of public health measures for fall 2021 and the types of measures in the fall will be dependent upon vaccination rollout.
