Manitoba NDP promises to restore cap on K-3 classroom sizes, add classrooms
Wab Kinew says his party has 'aspirational goal' to introduce legislation similar to what PCs scrapped
The Manitoba New Democrats say they would restore a cap on the number of students in kindergarten to Grade 3 classrooms if they're elected next month.
Leader Wab Kinew announced Thursday that as premier, he would bring back legislation that the Progressive Conservatives dumped in 2017.
The former NDP government aimed to ensure 90 per cent of early-year classrooms had no more than 20 students.
Kinew said Thursday he has the "same aspirational goal" as the previous cap, but said specific details, such as the timeline for implementation, would be determined in consultation with school divisions.
The NDP leader expects the initiative to cost around $18 million annually.
Parents want small class sizes
"We know that Mr. Pallister cut the small class sizes initiative and I never understood why," Kinew said, flanked by NDP candidates, school staff and children on the grounds of École Rivière Rouge in Winnipeg's Riverdale area.
"As education critic and then as leader, I've talked to a lot of parents across Manitoba, and I still haven't met any parent who wants their child to have less one-on-one time with their teacher."
To support the move for smaller class sizes, the NDP would commit $85 million to build an unspecified number of additional classrooms. The funding would come from the existing education capital budget, Kinew said.
He also promised $1 million to increase the number of educational assistants and another $1 million for French-language teachers.
The NDP leader reiterated that he would build at least as many new schools as the 13 additional builds the Tories recently promised.
In a prepared statement, Swan River PC candidate Rick Wowchuk, a former teacher, accused Kinew of being untruthful.
"Wab Kinew wants to go back to a time when his NDP friends were in government, a time when special needs funding was cut by more than $8 million, a time when thousands of students were learning in trailers and when student achievement measurements were dead last in Canada," Wowchuk said. "Let's not go back."
Manitobans will head to the polls on Sept. 10.
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With files from The Canadian Press