Feds to give provinces $2B to bolster safe reopening of schools this fall

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau will visit a school in Toronto today to announce $2 billion in additional funding to help provinces and territories ensure that kids can safely return to class this fall.

The money is on top of the $19 billion the prime minister has already promised provinces and territories to help them cope with the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their economies and health-care systems.

He informed premiers of the new funding during a conference call Tuesday afternoon.

The funding is expected to be allocated based on each province and territory’s number of students.

Federal officials say provinces and territories, which have sole jurisdiction over education, will have plenty of flexibility in deciding how best to spend the money.

They’ll be able to spend it as they see fit to bolster their efforts to ensure schools can reopen this fall as safely as possible.

Schools have been shut down across the country since COVID-19 started sweeping across the country in mid-March.

Many parents and teachers are worried about the impending return to school, fearful that class sizes won’t be small enough and safety measures won’t be strict enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2020

The Canadian Press