For Immediate Release
August 17 , 2004

New Supports to Help Struggling Students
Increase To Help Ontario Teachers Close The Learning Gap

The McGuinty government is helping students who are struggling the most by providing additional support for programs to help them succeed in school, Education Minister Gerard Kennedy announced today.

"Our government recognizes the need to support students from low-income and single-parent families and those who have recently settled in Canada by giving them extra help to succeed in literacy and math," said Kennedy at the annual meeting of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. "We're targeting funding to school boards that is flexible and that individual schools, principals and teachers can adapt into programs to meet student needs - new literacy teachers, for example."

The province is providing an additional $65 million under the Learning Opportunities Grant. This investment is in addition to a $95 million investment announced in December 2003 and will improve education achievement for students from low-income or single-parent families and those who have recently settled in Canada.

"We believe that all teachers and Ontarians share our goal of having every student able to improve and do well," said Kennedy. "The investments we made in December have already produced results in schools across Ontario and are giving students the learning boost they need to succeed."

The funding is part of the $854 million increase for this school year announced in the Ontario budget and will flow to all school boards across the province, helping support these students' literacy and other learning needs right away. Boards will be required to report to the community on how this new funding is used.

"A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work to address the local needs of our schools," said Kennedy. "Responding to the unique needs of each student is one example of how schools will be better this September."