Province investing more than $2 billion in support for Mississauga, Brampton and Ontario schools

Brampton | Mississauga | Ontario | Politics |

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Published May 4, 2021 at 5:32 pm

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The Province has announced it’s investing more than $2 billion in Ontario’s schools.

The funding will go towards improving public education, as well as protecting students and staff for the 2021-2022 school year.

Of this, 1.6 billion will specifically be allocated for resources intended to help mitigate and protect against the spread of COVID-19, including $384 million in temporary COVID-19 staffing support, $450 million in personal protective equipment (PPE) and critical supplies and equipment (such as cleaning supplies), and $86 million for school-focused nurses in public health units and testing.

Additionally, $35 million will be used to improve the technology available to students, $29 million will be used in relation to increased costs associated with school operations, and $20 million will be used to support learning recovery and renewal.

“As we continue to work with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to evaluate the safe resumption of in-class learning, our number-one priority remains safety in the classroom. To deliver on that priority, our government is making more than $1.6 billion available to protect school safety while investing in the long-term success of students with more support for reading, math, mental health, and special education needs,” Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, said in a news release.

Further, this funding will also include a $561 million increase to this year’s Grants for Student Needs (GSN), which will bring the 2021-22 total GSN investment to $25.6 billion.

“All students deserve the opportunity to succeed. By continuing to fund vital projects like ours that bring evidence-based resources to every classroom, the provincial government is stepping up to provide better support and learning opportunities for students with disabilities,” Lawrence Barns, president and CEO of the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, said in the same release.

“By resourcing educators to better meet the needs of all students, Ontario is advancing more accessible, caring, inclusive learning in our education system – especially critical as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he continued.

Cover photo courtesy of The Canadian Press

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