School District 43 is taking issue with the province's Temporary Education Support for Parents program to rebate $40 per child per day to parents.
In a letter to Education Minister Peter Fassbender, board chair Melissa Hyndes expressed "grave disappointment" with the plan, saying it shouldn't have been announced without consultation and produces "additional and completely unnecessary acrimony in the education sector."
The letter also stated concerns about unregulated "pop-up" child care options that could be a safety concern for children and recommended the strike savings, now more than $175 million, be directed toward the Learning Improvement Fund to support vulnerable students and class composition. (The Ministry of Education estimates that $12 million is saved each day during a full-scale, province-wide strike.)
The Ministry of Finance reports that it is not able to provide a cost breakdown for the Temporary Education Support for Parents program because it is unknown how long the strike will last.
