2011 News Releases

School authorities have provided the province with details about how the $107 million in additional education funding was allocated to classrooms across Alberta.
 

The Alberta government has shortlisted the top three proponents to design, finance, build and maintain 13 new schools through a public-private partnership (P3). These 13 new schools are part of government’s $550 million investment to build or modernize 35 Alberta schools.
 

Students and teachers will have quicker access to educational resources thanks to government funding to increase network connection speed in schools.
 

Albertans are invited to provide written and electronic input as part of consultations on the new Education Act.
 

Students, parents, teachers and others interested in building education as the key to individual and community success are invited to participate in upcoming public consultations on the Education Act.
 

Alberta education minister Thomas Lukaszuk joined the students of St. Anne Elementary Kindergarten at the launch of Early Learning Mobile Unit, or EMU. This innovative outreach project developed by Edmonton Catholic Schools brings early learning specialists to Edmonton communities to help parents and other caregivers better understand what and how young children learn. In addition to offering family programming in a bright, cheerful and well-equipped mobile classroom, staff at the EMU will help families to identify challenges and help them access the services of a multi-disciplinary team including speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist or family school liaison workers.
 

After a preliminary stakeholder consultation, Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has decided not to go forward with Bill 18, the Education Act, in the current Fall Legislative Session. Further public and stakeholder engagement will take place over the next few months to ensure the legislation reflects the Government of Alberta’s renewed commitment to education.
 

A census will be held in St. Albert, Morinville, Legal and parts of Sturgeon County beginning in September to determine whether Catholics or Protestants are the minority faith among resident electors in these areas.
 

On June 28 and 29 Education Minister Dave Hancock will head up the Canadian delegation to Japan for an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) seminar focused on improving learning outcomes and student engagement.
 

Students on the Gift Lake Métis Settlement will benefit from a new Kindergarten-to-Grade 9 school to be constructed in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. A total of 35 schools across Alberta will be built or modernized at an estimated cost of $550 million to cope with a student population expected to soar by about 100,000 new students before the end of the decade.
 

Edmonton... Students at two Edmonton schools will benefit as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. Both Strathcona Composite High School and Forest Heights School will undergo modernizations.
 

Alberta’s three-year high school completion rate jumped to 72.6 per cent in 2010 from 71.5 per cent in 2009. The increase follows efforts by school boards, teachers, parents, communities and government to better engage students in the importance of learning.
 

A two-year financial support pilot program designed to encourage student teachers to seek jobs in northern Alberta schools is being hailed as a success and has been extended.
 

Students in St. Paul, Lac La Biche, and Two Hills will benefit from new and modernized schools in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. Lac La Biche and Two Hills will receive new schools while Racette School in St. Paul will undergo modernizations.
 

Students across central Alberta will benefit as a result of a major investment in local school infrastructure that includes a new francophone Kindergarten-Grade 12 school and two new English language K-5 schools in Red Deer; a new K-12 school in Bawlf; a new junior-senior high school in Penhold; and improvements to schools in Innisfail, Ponoka and Trochu.
 

Twenty-three outstanding Alberta teachers will receive prestigious 2011 Excellence in Teaching Awards for their innovative and creative work with Kindergarten to Grade 12 students in classrooms across the province.
 

Students in Jasper will benefit from a new francophone Kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school and an English-language junior-senior high school to be constructed in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Students in Grande Prairie will benefit from a new high school to be constructed in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Students in Medicine Hat will benefit from a new Kindergarten-to-Grade 9 school and Bow Island students will see improvements to Bow Island Elementary School and Senator Gershaw School in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Students in Brooks will benefit from a new Kindergarten-to-Grade 6 school to be constructed in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Students in Claresholm and Cardston will benefit from modernized schools in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Francophone students in Cochrane will benefit from a new school being built in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Improvements to Notre Dame High School and Chinook Learning Services in Calgary will help both schools cope with soaring enrolments as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure.
 

Students in Fort McMurray will benefit from two new schools to be constructed and modernization of Fort McMurray Composite High School as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. Premier Ed Stelmach made the announcement at Fort McMurray’s Holy Trinity High School, which is under construction and scheduled to open in September.
 

Students in Beaumont will benefit from two new schools to be constructed in their community as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. Premier Ed Stelmach made the announcement at Beaumont’s �cole Coloniale Estates School on May 24.
 

Students in Airdrie and Chestermere will benefit from four new schools to be built in their communities as a result of an investment in local school infrastructure. Premier Ed Stelmach made the announcement at a student rally at Airdrie’s George McDougall High School on May 24.
 

Initiative will see 35 schools built or renovated to cope with growth
A total of 35 schools across Alberta will be built or modernized at an estimated cost of $550 million to cope with a student population expected to soar by about 100,000 new pupils before the end of the decade, Premier Ed Stelmach announced May 24.
 

New legislation will enhance student access to education and empower local school boards to be more responsive to the diverse learning needs of students and their communities.
 

More children and youth will benefit from the collective efforts of the Alberta Mentoring Partnership. Over the next three years, an additional $1 million in funding from the Alberta government will help youth, community mentoring organizations and government continue to increase mentoring opportunities for young people in Alberta.
 

A team with strong connections to Aboriginal education has been assembled to provide the strategic advice, direction and leadership needed to address issues identified in a year-long inquiry into Northland School Division.
 

The Government of Alberta will name a community-based team to analyze and respond to recommendations contained in the latest report into governance issues at Northland School Division.