To support an influx of newcomers entering the education system in Manitoba, the annual Intensive Newcomer Support Grant will be increased to a $2.4 million investment for the 2023-24 school year, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced.
“Manitoba schools have seen a significant increase in enrolment from newcomers and this investment will support school divisions as they respond to higher student numbers,” said Ewasko. “Regardless of whether learners are long-time residents or newcomers, our government is committed to ensuring that all Manitoba students receive a high-quality education.”
The minister noted the Manitoba government increased the program’s budget by $900,000. The $1.5-million investment for the 2023-24 school year will maintain that increase and add an additional $600,000 for the program, bringing the total investment for the upcoming school year to more than $2.4 million.
The Intensive Newcomer Support Grant is a proposal-based grant that supports newcomer students, many of whom come from refugee backgrounds with disrupted schooling. The grants will help fund critical supports and programming needed for newcomer students during the 2023-24 school year. All 16 divisions that applied for the grant will receive increased funding to support students in the classroom.
The increased funding comes as school divisions are experiencing unprecedented demand for newcomer resources due in part to an influx of newcomers fleeing the brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, the minister noted.
“Since September 2022, River East Transcona School Division has welcomed more than 1,270 newcomers from across the globe into our schools and classrooms. These students and their families contribute to making our community a vibrant, exciting, and inspirational place to live, learn, and grow,” said Sandra Herbst, superintendent, River East Transcona School Division. “Funding is imperative to not only support newcomer students’ transitions, but to fulfil the hopes that propelled their families’ often difficult and traumatic journeys to Canada. We require these additional monies to ensure our students’ academic, social, and emotional success.”
The additional $1.5 million for the Intensive Newcomer Support Grant builds on significant investments in education, including $100 million in new kindergarten to Grade 12 education funding for the 2023-24 school year, the minister added.
The minister noted the Manitoba government is committed to ensuring that all Manitoba students succeed, no matter where they live, their background or their individual circumstances, as outlined in Manitoba’s K to 12 Education Action Plan, which is guided by six overarching principles including equity and inclusion.
For more information on the Intensive Newcomer Support Grant, visit https://edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/ins_grant/index.html.
