Educational opportunities for all

River Heights

Every year around this time, I’m surrounded by reminders of my career before I entered politics, when I was a teacher. As your River Heights MLA, I recognize education as one of our community’s great strengths. Many of us chose to make our home here because of the 14 schools in our neighbourhood, each staffed by talented and dedicated educators.

As both a parent and former teacher, I know how essential it is to set children up for success through education. It’s a value I know my late friend and colleague, Nello Altomare, shared deeply. It’s been just over a year since his passing, and this Friday marks a year to the day since our government introduced Nello’s Law – enshrining universal school nutrition in legislation and ensuring every child has access to the food they need to do their best in school.

Thanks to Nello’s hard work, and the support of educators and school administrators across Manitoba, 30 million meals and snacks have been provided in the program’s first year. It’s a powerful legacy for Nello, who was an exceptional educator and a lifelong advocate for children.

Our commitment to giving every child the opportunity to succeed goes well beyond nutrition. We’re also taking real steps to support teachers across the province. That’s why we’ve introduced wage parity for educators in Manitoba, so the same work receives the same pay, whether you’re in Rivers or River Heights.

Our children deserve the best education possible, and that’s why our government will continue working to strengthen education in Manitoba. This year, I’m excited to break ground on a new gym at Kelvin High School – a long-overdue investment that was cancelled by the previous government.

Alongside investments in essential infrastructure and the people who make our schools thrive, we’re making important updates to our curriculum to ensure the next generation has the skills and knowledge they need to participate in a strong, inclusive society.

This fall, we introduced mandatory Holocaust education to the curriculum, supported by new classroom resources. In December, we released our K-12 anti-Islamophobia action plan. These programs will help ensure Manitobans have the understanding and tools to fight and prevent hate and discrimination, from an early age.

As a teacher myself, I’m incredibly proud of the work our government is doing across every part of our education system. We’re committed to improving outcomes and strengthening school experiences for our kids, and that work continues every single day.