Learning system given $20 million boost
Edmonton... The Alberta government is investing an additional $20 million this budget year to ensure continued excellence in our learning system.
The additional funding addresses pressures in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 learning system for pre-school and Kindergarten children with special needs, increases in the number of students returning to complete or upgrade Grade 12, and educational supports for students in government institutional programs such as group homes and treatment centres for youth.
Additional funding will also help address increases in scholarships and student loan remission, and provide support for apprenticeship and trades.
"As a government, we have increased funding for basic education and post-secondary learning in order to keep pace with increased demands and ensure continuous improvement in the system," said Minister of Learning Dr. Lyle Oberg. "These funding increases reflect a strong commitment by government to ensure our learning system remains one of the best in the world."
Highlights of these 3rd quarter funding increases include:
| Special needs funding for ECS children | $7.7 million | |
| Grade 12 student funding | $7.2 million | |
| Educational supports for students in institutional programs | $1.3 million | |
| Student assistance | $3.5 million | |
| Support for apprenticeship and trades | $0.5 million | |
| Total | $20.2 million |
In addition to the $20.2 million, Alberta Learning has reallocated $1.1 million to increase scholarship awards through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship program.
In total, funding for Alberta Learning has increased $76 million since Budget 2003 to address the recommendations of the Learning Commission, address basic education pressures, increase the number of post-secondary spaces, and support the operations and maintenance costs for post-secondary institutions. Total annual spending on the learning system is about $5 billion.
"When you add it all together, government spends a tremendous amount of money on education, and indeed this investment has paid off with Alberta students continuing to lead on national and international tests," said Oberg. "In fact, Alberta's investment amounts to $20 million a school day to support our Kindergarten to Grade 12 learning system, which is as much as we spend each day on our health care system."
Backgrounder
Details of $20 million Funding Increase
Special needs funding for ECS children ($7.7 million)
Program Unit Funding for special needs ECS children increased to address additional students and the average cost per student. The costs reflect increases for health-related services such as speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and special education consulting services.
Increase in the number of students returning to Grade 12 ($7.2 million)
The additional funding addresses increases in the number of students returning to Grade 12 for upgrading and additional course studies.
Educational supports for students in institutional programs ($1.3 million)
Additional funding provided for educational supports for students receiving an educational program through government institutional programs. Recently opened programs include Rite Trak (Edmonton), Bright Bank Academy (Stony Plain), Youth Treatment Centre (Fort McMurray), and Twin Oaks Group Home (Ponoka).
Student Assistance ($3.5 million)
Alberta Learning provided $1.1 million to increase scholarship awards through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship program, as a result of more students qualifying for scholarships. Additional funding will also address increases in student loan remissions to help keep Alberta's student loan system the best in Canada. Alberta will continue to ensure that when students graduate, they have a manageable debt level.
Support for apprenticeship and trades ($0.5 million)
Funding was provided to develop a new Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Management system to allow learners to be more self-directed through increased interactive web services.
