Hi @tiben12. Thanks for your thoughtful questions. Happy to answer them. A thread to answer your thread:

Question 1: First, targeted funding for students with special needs has gone up 30% under our government, Indigenous education funding has gone up 29%.

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Since forming government, student enrollment has increased by 3.4% alongside a budget increase in education of 19.4% . . . these increases directly impact students in rural and remote schools. Personally, I don’t consider these improvements “a few tweaks.”

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Contrast: the BC Liberals closed 267 schools from 2002 to 2017. @shirleybond was Education Minister during this time … she even labelled her work with her 2017 re-election sign on the property of one of the 13 schools her government closed in #cityofPG. (Exhibit A)

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But let’s focus on moving forward. The NDP has committed more than $20 billion for B.C. schools over the next three years. In 2020/21, we’re investing an extra $166 million to operate k-12 schools.

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That brings the education budget almost $1.1 billion higher than the previous government’s in 2016/17… it’s apparent where our values lie when it comes to education, especially in contrast to the BC Liberals and @shirleybond

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Question 2: edu. infrastructure

I already mentioned $20 billion for B.C. schools. This includes almost $2.8 billion for new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades, maintenance and property purchase for future schools. I’m describing a vastly improved future of education!

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The government is continuing record investment in school capital with a 2019/20 capital budget increase of more than 63 per cent – sharp contrast to the previous government’s capital spending cuts in eight of their budgets.

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And I’m sure you can relate when I bring up the burden on parents to fund raise for modern school playgrounds . . . our government will continue to fund these upgrades to relieve some of that burden on parents, who have enough on their plates right now.

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Question 3: COVID-19 and student learning

Thank you or asking this question. It’s on a lot of parents’ minds right now. The government developed the return-to-school plan in collaboration with the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Association of School Trustees.

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Through that process it was determined that students would be able to complete this school year without significant loss to student learning time – but of course we have to be adaptable as a government as we navigate this pandemic and what it means for families. That's why..

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...if the local school district has identified any issues so far and moving forward, they should be communicating with the Ministry to address those needs.

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Question 4: mental health

You're right that the Horgan government has done really great work addressing mental health of our youth.

Namely:

-bringing in B.C.’s first standalone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions
-launching a new Mental Health in Schools Strategy

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(MHiS is aimed at finding new ways and better ways to support students needing help)

More about that: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020EDUC0053-001823

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There’s always more to do in government and this is a really important time to have the stability to continue to build on the accomplishments of just three years. In that, we need energized, effective representation in the legislature for Prince George-Valemount.

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I appreciate your level of engagement and your well thought-out questions. B.C. will make its choice in just over a couple of weeks and you’ve given me one more opportunity to tell people about what we plan to accomplish going forward!

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