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By Curtis Galbraith
Schools

Province announces details on help for school kids struggling during the pandemic

Oct 28, 2021 | 6:00 AM

The provincial government has announced changes meant to help kids struggling to learn during the pandemic.

The government will pay out $490 per student to school divisions to help improve literacy and numeracy skills in the early grades

The province had announced a total of $45 million for this in May.

Of that, $30 million will go into programming for Grade 2 and 3 kids right away

Education Minister Adrianna La Grange says this means 38,000 kids would get help with literacy, 25,000 with numbers.

“It is crucial to address learning challenges in the early years of a student’s development. That’s why I’m so pleased that we are able to provide these supports at this time in the pandemic and as the pandemic continues to evolve.”

LaGrange says some students may qualify for both programs, so that would mean the divisions get $980 per student in those cases.

The minister was asked why the emphasis was put on just these three grades.

“We worked with the College of Alberta School Superintendents and others in education where they really highlighted that it was these really early learners that were the most impacted and were really struggling to catch up. This is why we targetted this group at this point in time.”

The other $15 million will go towards help for Grade 1 kids. That money will go out in February. Assessments will be done in the new year.

Grade 12 diploma exams will now count as 10 per cent of the mark for the 2021-22 school year rather than 30 per cent as in past years.

“This change will give students the crucial exam writing experience they need if they choose to go into post-secondary while recognizing the impact the pandemic has had on their learning,” adds LaGrange.

The province also says that at-home rapid test kits for COVID-19 have been provided to schools across Alberta that have Kindergarten to Grade 6 kids and are also on outbreak status. LaGrange says these are meant to be a screening test for someone without symptoms and any students and staff who have symptoms should get a PCR test.

NDP Critic for Education says the government should cancel provincial achievement tests and diploma exams for the rest of the pandemic.

Hoffman says in a news release that changing the weighting of diploma exams does nothing to help the stress of students.

by Curtis Galbraith