Teachers on strike in Peachland(Dave Preston photo)
by Dave Preston
When B.C. teachers went out on strike recently, the government didn’t have to pay their normal wages. Over just a few days, the government saved $37 million and now its giving that money to school districts to improve education.
Education Minister George Abbott announced today that it will double its Learning Improvement Fund (LIF) from $30 million to $60 million for the coming school year.
All of the $37 million in savings will be passed on to school districts, according to Abbott, with $30 million added to the LIF and the remaining $7 million to be used by school boards for educational priorities in their respective districts.
The first $60 million in LIF funding will be allocated this fall to school districts to be used for classrooms with the highest need. Another $60 million was allocated in 2013-14, and $75 million in 2014-15 and each year thereafter as part of Budget 2012.
As announced last week by Abbott at Student Voice, a meeting of leadership students from throughout the province, B.C. school districts are also being provided with $10.7 million in one-time funding to support elements of B.C.’s Education Plan in the classroom. This money is ear- marked to support struggling readers in the K-12 grades.
- Excited
- Informed
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
