Sask. government develops 1-year educational support plan

The Saskatchewan government released a plan Tuesday that will support the province's schools after a turbulent year.

According to a government news release, the one-year Interim Provincial Education Plan focuses on three priorities.

The first is additional reading supports for students in grades one through five. The release states that data will be collected allowing professionals to create reading plans that match students' skilllevels.

The second is the creation ofnew learning opportunities for high school students whose learning was impacted by the pandemic. They will be able to obtain credits for online classes and other special projects.

The final priorityis supportingmental health initiatives for staff and students as they return to school, with $600,000 budgeted for programs related to bullying prevention and mental health promotion.

"We're pleased to provide school divisions with nearly $21 million in additional funding for students returning to school this fall," Education Minister Dustin Duncan said in the release.

"Our appreciation goes out to our teachers, education support staff and families whose hard work and creativity supported these students throughout the past year."

School divisions and participating First Nations educational authorities will build their own plans to meet needs of theirschools.