Released on February 26, 2016
Education Minister Don Morgan joined students, teachers and school division officials to make two major education funding announcements that total $20 million. The government announced the reallocation of $16.6 million for the purchase of 46 new relocatable classrooms across the province, as well as moving nine other relocatables from site-to-site. The announcement is being made today so these classrooms can be in place for the start of the 2016-17 school year.
“Even in times of spending restraint, our government believes it’s vital to continue supporting schools and communities experiencing rapid growth,” Morgan said. “Relocatable classrooms allow our school divisions to be flexible and to accommodate changes in enrolment as our communities continue to grow and develop in Saskatchewan. This important investment will ensure that the needs of our province’s students and teachers are put first.”
Morgan also announced a $3.4 million grant for CommunityNet, which will provide for continued bandwidth upgrades in provincial schools where needed across the province.
“We appreciate the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to education,” Saskatoon Public Schools Board Chair Ray Morrison said. “The new relocatable classrooms will help us ease pressure in schools experiencing space constraints due to growing enrolment. With the increasing usage of technology in the classroom, the investment in network infrastructure is a step in the right direction to addressing the bandwidth issues our schools have been experiencing. Providing supportive learning spaces and innovative educational opportunities will foster our students’ growth and help them reach their potential.”
CommunityNet connects educational facilities, Saskatchewan schools, regional colleges and public libraries, health agencies and government departments and agencies into a private network, offering high speed broadband services to both urban and rural areas.
As part of the program to increase bandwidth, SaskTel will assume administrative responsibility for the network and begin making necessary investments to provide the new bandwidth in the coming weeks.
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For more information, contact:
Stephanie Ali
Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6304
Email: stephanie.ali@gov.sk.ca