B.C. adds $150M to education, 1,500 new teachers after reaching deal with union
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s education system will receive a $150-million funding boost after the province reached a deal with teachers to restore contract language that called for smaller class sizes.
Education Minister Mike Bernier said the new classroom enhancement fund is in addition to the $180 million announced in this year’s budget, bringing the total to $330 million.
The new funding will mean the hiring of about 1,500 new teachers, adding to the approximately 1,000 already announced in the budget, for a total of 2,600 new positions.
“Every single district in the province, every single one, is going to be better off,” Bernier said in a conference call with reporters on Friday.