From the Toronto Star Tuesday May 31:
Schools get more cash to reduce class sizes
The province is spending $126 million to reduce class sizes in early grades, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced yesterday.
By September, 70 per cent of Ontario's junior kindergarten to Grade 3 students — 381,000 children — will be in smaller classes.
"Smaller class sizes ensure our children can get the individual attention they need to succeed," McGuinty told media reporters at Toronto's Holy Rosary School.
"We know that children who start their education in small classes are more likely to stay in school, graduate on time and take on challenging courses later in their education."
By 2007-'08 the government hopes to cap elementary school classes at 20 students.
Yesterday's announcement includes $90 million to hire 1,275 more teachers and $36 million to create more classroom space to support the smaller class size initiative.
The announcement builds on a $90-million investment last year to hire 1,100 teachers to begin reducing class size.
McGuinty also announced a $30.4-million funding package for other elementary school improvements, including:
$18 million for 160 special projects to improve students' reading, writing and math.
$7 million for specialized summer teacher training in writing, reading, math and geometry.
$5.4 million for teams of "turnaround" experts to help in schools where students are having the most problems with reading.
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