Ontario Budget 2006: Backgrounder: Education

STRENGTHENING ONTARIO'S EDUCATION AND SKILLS ADVANTAGE

Every Ontarian needs the opportunity to succeed — opportunity that begins with education.  Ontario's future prosperity depends on the education and skills of its people.

Success for Students

The McGuinty government is committed to providing the best publicly funded education system for our children.  The plan to build opportunity through investments in smaller classes, better student achievement and higher secondary-school graduation includes:

• increasing Grants for Student Needs (GSN) funding to school boards by more than $400 million in 2006-07 to $17.3 billion.  By the 2008-09 school year, the Province will provide an additional $2.6 billion in funding to school boards, compared to 2003-04, increasing by 18 per cent to almost $9,300 average funding per student compared to 2003-04;
• enhancing student success through funding for 4,300 more elementary and secondary teachers over the past two years;
• implementing the next steps towards a cap of 20 students per class from JK to Grade 3. So far, 2,400 new elementary-school teachers have been funded and over half of Ontario schools now have smaller primary class sizes;
• continuing to improve student test scores in reading, writing and math.  The number of Grades 3 and 6 students meeting the Provincial standards in literacy and math has increased to 62 per cent from 54 per cent; and
• enhancing the Learning to 18 Strategy to increase the number of high school students who graduate within five years to 85 per cent by 2010.  So far, 1,300 more high school teachers have been hired.

Reaching Higher — The McGuinty Government Plan for Postsecondary Education

The McGuinty government is building opportunity through Reaching Higher, its historic $6.2 billion cumulative investment in postsecondary education by 2009-10, to increase access and improve quality and accountability.  Through Reaching Higher, the government is:

• creating about 75,000 new spaces for students;
• doubling spending on student aid, adding more than $300 million by 2009-10;
• making further enhancements to loans and grants in 2006-07, benefiting 145,000 students;
• increasing to 60,000 the number of students receiving upfront grants in 2006-07 — up from 32,000 in 2005-06 — by more than doubling the income threshold for a family with two children from about $35,000 to $75,000;
• easing student debt by guaranteeing that students who receive government loans of more than $7,000 per year will have the excess amount forgiven;
• raising book and supply allowances for the first time since the mid-1980s, benefiting 138,000 students;
• increasing college and university operating grants by $736 million in 2006-07 over base funding in 2004-05; and
• continuing to expand graduate education, through $70 million in funding, growing to $220 million annually by 2009-10, resulting in 14,000 new spaces.

Jobs and Skills Renewal Strategy

The McGuinty government is building opportunity through effective and relevant skills training and employment services, including:

• creating the $2.1 billion Jobs and Skills Renewal Strategy to expand and improve services for the unemployed, the underemployed, new Canadians, the working poor and Ontarians receiving social assistance. It includes three landmark immigration and labour-market services agreements signed with the federal government in November 2005, which, along with planned Ontario and federal funding, will provide resources for skills training totalling $2.1 billion annually by 2008-09;
• measures to provide skills training services through a one-stop window, making it easier for people to find the services they need;
• $1.2 million more for the Newcomer Settlement Program, increasing the program funding by more than 25 per cent to $5.3 million in 2006-07, providing funding to help new Canadians become established more quickly; and
• $35 million in 2006-07 to assess and train up to 200 international medical graduates.

Strengthening Literacy for Aboriginal Peoples

The McGuinty government is strengthening literacy for Aboriginal Peoples by providing:

• $6 million to First Nations and rural libraries; and
• more than $800,000 for the Lieutenant Governor's summer camp initiative that encourages literacy among aboriginal youth in northern Ontario.

Contact:
Scott Blodgett
Ministry of Finance
416-325-0324

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You can access the 2006 Budget and all related documents at www.ontariobudget.ca, or by calling 1-800-337-7222.