BY AMAN SINGH

NDP MLA for Richmond-Queensborough

THIS week across B.C., kids are heading back to school. It’s an exciting time, full of old friends, new friends, and major milestones.

People in B.C. are proud of our public school system and the world-class education that we provide for kids of all ages. Parents can feel confident that their child’s classroom is a safe, supportive, nurturing environment.

But parents shouldn’t be experiencing back-to-school worries about increased expenses related to school. Yet at a time of global inflation, we know that many families are facing increased costs for gas, groceries, and the school supplies their kids need. And school districts are seeing increased demand for their school meal programs.

We are taking action right now. Last week we announced the Student and Family Affordability Fund, which will help reduce the burden on families by providing one-time funding of $60 million to school districts to help ensure students are fed and have the school supplies they need to be successful this year.

Every school district will receive a minimum of $250,000 to expand school food and meal programs, and to reduce additional costs to parents for things like field trips and school supplies. We are also making sure that parents who need to access this extra support can do so in a private and stigma-free manner, without the added burden of providing proof of financial hardship. Parents who need support should contact their child’s teacher, counsellor, or principal to access resources that can help.

While we work to help families cope with rising costs of living, we are also making upgrades to our schools so that more students can learn in modern, state-of-the-art classrooms. From Abbotsford, to Nanaimo, to Richmond, to Kelowna, we are opening new schools and newly-upgraded schools across the province this month. Many of the upgrades improve seismic safety while also adding additional space and getting more students out of portables. Budget 2022 includes $3.1 billion for capital school projects over the next three years. This is 78% more than the previous government was budgeting for new, expanded and upgraded schools five years ago in 2017.

These historic investments are about setting our kids up for success. Given the proper tools and the right learning environment, there is no limit to what our kids can achieve during their educational journey, and beyond. We are not only teaching future leaders – many of our young students are already leaders in their own right, whether in the classroom, on the playground, on the sports field or in their community.

I’m a parent of a young child, with another couple of years still to go before she starts school. While I treasure every moment that we spend together, I’m also so excited for her to start her own journey in school, explore her passions, and achieve her dreams. She’s one of the reasons I am committed to building the best education system possible for every child in B.C.