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The provincial government is trying to make next year’s school experience has ‘normal’ as possible.
After two years of pandemic disruptions, Ontario has launched its Plan to Catch Up for the 2022-23 school year. The plan starts with students back in classrooms, on time, with the full school experience including extracurriculars like clubs, band and field trips.
“Our government is looking ahead as we remain squarely focused on ensuring students receive the best stable learning experience possible, and that starts with them being in class, on time, with all of the experiences students deserve,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “We have a plan for students to catch up, including the largest tutoring program in Ontario’s history, a modernized skills-focused curriculum to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, and enhanced mental health supports.”
Ontario’s Plan to Catch Up is squarely focused on the priorities of parents and includes five key components:
- Getting kids back in classrooms in September, on time, with a full school experience that includes extra-curriculars like clubs, band, and field trips;
- New tutoring supports to fill gaps in learning;
- Preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow;
- Providing more money to build schools and improve education; and
- Helping students with historic funding for mental health supports.
The government has made some big investments recently, including:
- More than $26.6 billion in funding for the 2022-23 school year, the highest investment in public education in Ontario’s history.
- Investing more than $175 million for enhanced tutoring support programs delivered by school boards and community partners, with a focus on reading, writing and math.
- $304 million in time-limited funding to support the hiring of up to 3,000 front line staff, including teachers, early childhood educators, educational assistants, and other education workers.
- Investing $14 billion to build state-of-the-art schools and classrooms and renew and repair existing schools, including $2.1 billion for the 2022-23 school year.
- Allocating $90 million for mental health initiatives and supports for students, a 420 per cent increase from 2017-18.
- Additional funding to support students with exceptionalities through a $93 million increase in funding for the Special Education Grant and over $9 million in funding to support the new de-streamed grade nine program, with an emphasis on supporting students most at risk including students from racialized, Black, immigrant, and Indigenous communities.
“With almost 50,000 children benefiting from Ontario’s tutoring investments every week, and summer learning programs underway province-wide, Ontario’s plan is getting students back on track,” added Minister Lecce. “With an emphasis on getting back to basics, our government is focused on strengthening life and job skills in the classroom, so that students graduate as financially literate, technologically savvy, emotionally intelligent leaders, ready for the jobs of tomorrow.”
The full Plan to Catch Up can be found online here.
