$6.6 Million For Students, Schools And Libraries

Student learning will be enhanced with new computers and more text books. A new investment of $6.6 million announced by Education Minister Jamie Muir today, Dec. 14, will also allocate more funds for school maintenance.

"Following this fall's First Ministers' Meeting, Premier John Hamm indicated that some of the new federal dollars this year and in future years would go to Nova Scotia children. This investment will put new and improved learning tools right into the hands of students and ensure they continue to learn in safe and healthy schools," said Education Minister Jamie Muir.

"Elementary students will get new text books, junior high students will get 1,500 new computers and software and school boards will now have more funds for needed school maintenance," he said.

School boards will also receive funding to purchase new and replacement equipment for breakfast programs.

"As the premier announced last month, the Department of Education will work with school boards on a provincewide school breakfast program for the early grades," said Mr. Muir. "The additional funding we're announcing today is an excellent start."

The majority of the new education dollars will be invested in priority areas as identified by the department's Learning for Life plan. In addition, $1.1 million will go to regional libraries.

Highlights of the investment include:

• $2 million for 1,500 new computers and software will mean more students have better access to technology in the classroom;
• $2 million for more school maintenance;
• $1.1 million for regional libraries - $350,000 of this will be for technology improvements;
• $500,000 will mean more than 70,000 new books for social studies and reading/writing, for elementary schools;
• $400,000 will buy new and replacement equipment for breakfast programs;
• $100,000 will support the partners' education forum in January 2005 when Premier Hamm and Mr. Muir will sit down with parents, teachers and students to discuss the next steps for public education.

Most of the new funding will be distributed among the school boards. The Department of Education will manage the funds to purchase the textbooks and support the partners' forum.