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B.C. education minister to provide update on COVID-19 prevention funding for return to school
The $242 million in federal funding earmarked for reopening B.C. schools will be given to school districts to spend based on their needs over the coming months, Education Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday.A sign welcoming students back to school is pictured outside of Hastings Elementary prior to the first day of school in Vancouver, British…
The $242 million in federal funding earmarked for reopening B.C. schools will be given to school districts to spend based on their needs over the coming months, Education Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday.
The $242 million in federal funding earmarked for reopening B.C. schools will be given to school districts to spend based on their needs over the coming months, Education Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday.
The funding is B.C.'s part of the $2 billion announced by the federal government last week to help schools across the country reopen safely.
B.C. will receive the first half of the payment this month, Fleming said. A total of $101 million will be allocated to public schools, $7.9 million will go to independent schools, and $12 million will be reserved for issues related to COVID-19 as they arise.
The second half of the funding will be allocated in January, Fleming added.
“Every dollar of the federal funding announced will benefit students in B.C.,” he said. “As the first week of school approaches, we want staff, students and their families to feel confident.”
The federal funding is reserved for local school boards to protect staff and students from the coronavirus. The money can be used to purchase personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, modify teaching spaces and improve ventilation.
It will also help in the purchase of software for families and more textbooks, as well as the creation of Wi-Fi hubs for families, Fleming said.
The B.C. Teachers' Federation has outlined its suggestions for the money, with president Teri Mooring calling it a “game changer” for the province's K-12 restart plan.
The union believes the funding should be used to create smaller class sizes and reduce school and classroom density, create hybrid and remote learning options in every district and fund mental health resources for students.
Students in B.C. are expected back in class full time on Sept. 10.
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