Manitoba PCs promise to boost literacy in elementary schools

The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are promising to boost literacy if they are elected next month.

Leader Brian Pallister says the party would develop a program to ensure kids could read at or above national levels by Grade 3.

He says the program would include a beefed-up curriculum with specific literacy goals, as well as reading assessment teams to help struggling students.

Pallister estimates the program would cost about $7 million.

Manitoba has lagged behind other provinces in standardized test results for math, science and literacy.

Voters go to the polls April 19.