After a year-long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manitoba government will be releasing the Manitoba K-12 Education Review and its response to the report on Monday, March 15 at 3:30 p.m., Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced on March 12, adding the response strategy will set a path to creating a classroom-focused, student-centred and parent-friendly education system.

“The province’s K to 12 commission was tasked with the goal of transforming Manitoba’s education system into a modern, responsive and ambitious educational system,” said Cullen. “Manitoba’s current education system is not working for students. Manitoba is one of the highest-spending provinces on education and getting among the lowest student achievement results in the country.”

In 2019, the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education began an independent review of the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system with the goal of improving outcomes for students, ensuring long-term sustainability and enhancing public confidence. The review was informed through extensive and transparent public consultations, supported by research and learning from best practices. The commission received input of students, parents, educators, school boards, academics, Indigenous organizations, la francophonie, municipal councils, professional organizations, the business community and members of the public.

“When we release the new strategy next week, you will see how it will improve outcomes and achievement for all students across the province,” said Cullen. “It will lay out the plan and vision to equip teachers and administrators with the tools they need to be successful, build consistency and coherence across the province, direct more resources into teaching and learning, and give parents opportunities to be much more involved in their children’s education.”

Since 2016, the Manitoba government has been laying the groundwork for building the country’s most improved education system, the minister said. The government has made a record investment of $1.35 billion into education in 2021-22 and has committed to a funding guarantee of $1.6 billion in the next four years. The province is also on track to fulfil its 20 New Schools Guarantee with six schools already open, two expected to go to tender in the spring of this year and four beginning design work in 2021-22, Cullen noted. The remaining eight schools are expected to be designed and completed ahead of the original 10-year commitment, he added.

“Manitobans deserve a high-quality, world-class education system and we are going to make the right investments, put in place the proper resources and supports for teachers, and put students first,” said Cullen.

Manitoba Municipal Relations advises daylight saving time returns to Manitoba early in the morning of Sunday, March 14, when clocks across the province will be advanced by one hour.

Under The Official Time Act, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and continues until the first Sunday in November.

The official time change to daylight saving time occurs at 2 a.m., Sunday, March 14 at which time clocks should be set ahead to 3 a.m.

The Manitoba government is introducing new legislation that would support greater equity and flexibility in child care, while maintaining parent fees at their current levels for three years to support the province’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced on March 11.

“Our government is committed to modernizing Manitoba’s child-care system to ensure that options for care are available when parents need them,” said Squires. “Bill 47, the early learning and child-care act, would create more equity in the system and expand supports that better meet the diverse needs of families, especially those most in need of early learning and child-care services.”

Early learning is defined as a program of learning experiences that supports children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Bill 47 would formally introduce this concept into legislation, and clarify what is meant by child care and early learning services to support more flexibility within the sector and an increased focus on early learning.

The minister noted the proposed legislation outlines five basic principles that must be taken into consideration when making decisions under the act including that:
• early learning and child-care services should ensure the health, safety, development and well-being of children;
• access to early learning and child-care services should enhance the economic opportunities available to parents;
• early learning and child-care services should be available on a continuum that is responsive to the diverse needs of families;
• promoting inclusion and respect, and accommodating diversity should be inherent in early learning and child-care services; and
• public funding should promote fiscal responsibility and the sustainability of early learning and child-care services.

Existing legislation focuses on licensing of child-care centres and home-based child care, which limits options for families. Under the new legislation, other early learning and child-care providers would be eligible for licensing to enable more options for services. In addition, new provisions would require licensed child-care facilities to provide approved early learning programming to pre-school children.

The minister also noted that under Manitoba’s current legislation, parents employed in lower-wage jobs or jobs with non-standard hours often experience difficulties finding child care, as the legislation does not enable a delivery of services outside of typical business hours. Bill 47 includes provisions that would support the development of more part-time and extended-hours options for those who work or participate in education or training in the evenings.

Bill 47 would also streamline the certification process for early learning and child-care providers to ensure qualified staff get into the workforce faster.

“Our government appreciates the skills, knowledge and dedication of early childhood educators and child-care assistants in providing high-quality care,” said Squires. “I especially thank them for continuing to maintain those high standards during the pandemic.”

The proposed legislation sets out a robust compliance framework that provides legal grounding for existing practice, the minister said.

The province would continue to provide operating grants to licensed and regulated child-care providers to support the care and supervision of children, though the new act would enable greater flexibility in the provision of grants to support the modernization of the early learning and child-care system. Bill 47 would improve accessibility with continued financial assistance for parents who use licensed facilities, in conjunction with related financial supports under other legislation.

The minister noted the new legislation would update provisions that were introduced more than 30 years ago and make the requirements easier to understand and apply.

Some provisions in the new bill align with options recommended in an Early Learning and Child Care Transformation report by KPMG, commissioned by the province last year. The minister said the province will release the full report within 30 days, along with the findings of a public engagement on early learning and child-care modernization that closed in early March. A preliminary report has been shared with the province’s Parent Advisory Committee on Child-Care Transformation.

In December 2020, the Manitoba government announced the establishment of the committee to guide public engagement and to provide advice to the province on how to ensure child-care services meet the diverse needs of parents and families. The committee sought the perspectives of other Manitoba parents and guardians to help inform the modernization of early learning and child care.

One year ago on March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global public health emergency, and the following day on March 12, 2020, Manitoba announced its first presumptive positive COVID-19 case. Since that day, our lives have forever been changed, especially for the family and friends of the 908 Manitobans who tragically lost their battle to COVID-19.

On this day, we reflect on the Manitobans we have lost and will miss; and also acknowledge the thousands of Manitobans we have saved and will treasure. 

As a government and as Manitobans, we have learned the hard lessons and we are not the same people we were last fall. Unlike most Canadian jurisdictions, Manitoba did not experience a significant ‘first wave’, as nearly 70 per cent of Manitoba’s total case count was detected between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.

As a government, we addressed the needs of our health-care system including workforce flow, securing personal protective equipment (PPE), and scaling up COVID-19 testing sites and contact tracing.

As Manitobans, we learned how to work and learn from home. We learned how to embrace technology and explore the outdoors. We learned how to be creative and innovative. We learned how to follow the fundamentals; we learned how to save lives. 

We recognize the significant sacrifices all Manitobans have made to protect their loved ones and their community, which is why we have led the country in providing direct financial supports for businesses and Manitobans.

Our number one priority in the face of this pandemic is to protect our most vulnerable Manitobans and ensure our health-care system is there for all Manitobans when they need it, now and well after this pandemic.

While there is much hope on the horizon with the advancements of COVID-19 vaccines, I must remind Manitobans that we still have long way to go before all Manitobans are fully protected from this deadly virus. We must continue to follow the advice of our public health experts that have enabled us to bend our COVID curve down and save thousands of lives.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the leaders and members of Manitoba’s COVID-19 Response Team, Manitoba’s Vaccine Implementation Task Force, the First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team and every single Manitoban on the front line of this pandemic for your dedication, commitment and compassion for your fellow Manitobans.

I am confident that in the years ahead, Manitobans will look back on this moment in our province’s history and they will be proud of their efforts. I know I am.