Universal screening for learning disabilities

Tyndall Park

Bill 225–The Public Schools Amendment Act (Universal Screening for Learning Disabilities) is progressing!

I am happy to be able to share that Bill 225 is continuing to move through the legislative process and had a committee date on Oct. 8. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated!

The bill itself is a matter of equity, opportunity and social justice. It is about doing more to ensure that children do not continue to fall through the cracks in our education system.

Several years ago, it was shared with me how, for decades, Manitoba has struggled with literacy outcomes. I’ve since done a deep dive on the issue and according to reports and stakeholders, there is a literacy crisis here in Manitoba. Sadly, only 40 per cent of students are reading at grade level, and for Indigenous students, the numbers are even lower.

After meeting and consulting on the legislation with pediatricians, teachers, school divisions, speech pathologists and more, we wanted to create legislation that would contribute to ensuring every child, regardless of socio-economic background, would receive the support they need to succeed.

Currently, Manitoba’s 37 school divisions do not have a clear or consistent direction with respect to screening assessments for reading. Bill 225 allows Manitoba to join many other jurisdictions in Canada who mandate universal screening for all students.

In short, the bill would amend The Public Schools Act to require all students from kindergarten to Grade 3 be screened twice per school year for learning disabilities by educators using a screening tool formally approved by the minister. The timing is very important as children’s brains are most malleable in their early years, and when children struggle in silence, they will often develop behavioural changes and face challenges stemming from academic frustrations.

The bill further states that parents and legal guardians must be informed of their child’s screening results within 30 days of being tested, and school boards must use the screening results to guide further assessments and allocate specialized resources accordingly.

We know this is extremely important because students with low literacy skills are more likely to leave school without graduating and those who do graduate, are more likely to be unsuccessful if they enter post-secondary education. This extends to adults who struggle with literacy being more likely to work in entry-level jobs, which ultimately continues the cycle of inequity.

If you are interested in learning more about the legislation, or perhaps you have ideas about legislation for in the future, please don’t hesitate to be in touch!