The provincial government is investing $20 million to strengthen schools in rural and northern Ontario, beginning this fall.
Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter made the announcement Wednesday morning at Chemong Public School in Bridgenorth, Ont. – around 10 kilometres northwest of Peterborough.
The additional funding focuses on providing “high-quality education services and programs that meet their needs,” Hunter said.
The province is also overhauling the review process by which school boards determine which schools will stay open.
“When rural students are provided with meaningful opportunities for an excellent education, rural communities thrive,” Hunter said.
In May, the People for Education – a non-profit advocacy group that tracks education in the province and offers policy recommendations – estimated 121 schools will close over the next three years, the large majority of which are in rural areas in southern Ontario.
Hunter explained the funding will help offset some of the unique challenges students in rural areas come up against, including transportation.
Earlier this year, the Ontario Alliance Against School Closures (OAASC) protested more than 600 possible school closures affecting rural areas in the province, saying longer commutes for children will negatively impact their education.
OAASC spokesperson Susan MacKenzie told CTV News in January that "in [Ontario's] northern regions they're looking at bus rides in excess of four hours a day ... And that often puts the student on the bus longer than in the classroom."
Hunter is optimisitic that the additional funding witll help change this. There will also be a focus on e-learning and programming for students with special needs, she added.
“Our government is committed to working with school boards and communities to make changes that best support all of our students,” said Hunter.
Feedback was given over a two month period through surveys and public consultations with the affected communities.
The additional funding takes effect in September.
