Province invests $200 million to hire more teachers to reduce classroom sizes

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Growing class sizes and increasingly complex classrooms are making it harder for teachers to give students the support and attention they need to succeed, according to the province.

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“Smaller class sizes make a real difference for students and teachers, especially in the early and middle grades,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare. “This targeted investment helps ensure classrooms are safer, more manageable and focused on student success.”

The grant builds on the work of the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee, which was created to guide Alberta’s approach to crowded and complex classrooms.

The province added that reducing class sizes is part of the government’s broader, multi-year commitment to address class size and complexity and support teachers as classrooms continue to evolve across the province.

“Students in elementary and junior high benefit greatly through additional instructional time inherent to smaller classrooms – time which ensures they have opportunity to enhance their understanding of important facts and key concepts,” said Colleen Holowaychuk, board chair of Elk Island Public Schools.

Meantime, Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling said in a statement that he sees the announcement as an acknowledgement of what was one of the core issues raised during last fall’s teachers’ strike, and what teachers, parents and students have been saying for years.

“Every student in Alberta deserves the opportunity to learn in a classroom where they can receive the attention and support they need to thrive. And every teacher deserves the professional conditions necessary to meet the diverse needs of their students,” Schilling said.

He added that the announcement is a positive step for public education.

“We expect this announcement to be the first step in repairing the damage done by years of chronic underfunding.”

The ATA added that while the investment is welcomed, finding and deploying additional teachers will be a challenge for school boards. The Association said it’s also important to ensure that the needs of students in rural communities are not lost in today’s funding announcement.