Manitoba

Predictable Result Of Education Minister Nancy Allan Dept: School board taxes on property are rising across Manitoba, a wholly predictable result of Education Minister Nancy Allan's decision to hold operating grant increases to 2.5 per cent, not enough to maintain programs at stand-pat levels. The provincial government says it has no more to give because deficit financing requires that demands on the treasury be carefully managed. But there are other ways to relieve the financial pressure, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Boards across Manitoba lost the authority to close schools with enrolment so small as to make the buildings unnecessarily expensive. Some schools have fewer than 100 students and some 13 schools were on the chopping block before the provincial government made its sudden edict and dALE CUMMINGS / First, the government should reconsider the moratorium on the closing of small schools it put in place in 2008. Second, it needs to rethink its election-campaign promise to force school boards to cap the class sizes of grades 1 to 3. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.