The province introduced new legislation that would allow school boards to enter into cost-sharing agreements to build or enhance Internet service to schools. This announcement was made by Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum.
“This legislation will facilitate connecting schools all across the province to the Internet, especially in rural Manitoba, ensuring school divisions can access information, training and knowledge available on the web,” said Minister Allum.
The legislative amendments would grant the Department of Education and Advanced Learning the authority to review and approve proposals from school divisions to enter into cost-sharing partnerships with public or private organizations. School boards would give first priority to partnering with another public entity, such as another school division or a municipality, before considering a partnership with a private-sector organization.
“Internet access is essential for schools to help meet the learning needs of students. This bill will provide for school divisions the opportunity to pursue cost-sharing partnerships in order to develop broadband capacity that meets the needs of schools and communities across Manitoba,” said Floyd Martens, president, Manitoba School Boards Association. “This is a positive step that has the potential to be particularly beneficial in school divisions with limited means where partnerships will help address this need.”
The minister noted that many rural school divisions in particular would be pleased to be able to exercise this new ability, which would create the conditions for providing students with better access to digital learning resources and could, through partnerships, provide improved Internet services to more Manitobans.
“Enabling schools divisions to partner to provide broadband should allow for easier Internet access for students throughout the province of Manitoba. This will make it less difficult for school divisions to work with partners and should ultimately enhance learning in the classroom. This is a good first step to providing more students have the access they need to participate in the 21st century classroom,” said Reg Klassen, president of the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents.
“This legislation would not be necessary if Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) were still publicly owned,” said Minister Allum.
