Education minister checks out school system
Smithers Interior News
Sep 30 2009

Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid met with the northwest school district's in Smithers last Friday to get a clearer view of how the northwest school system runs as well as addressing any questions administrators may have regarding the recent changes to the budget in education.

"You do very important work on behalf of the people," MacDiarmid said. "It's even more important that we have these strong relationships."….

"It became very clear very quickly that the February budget wasn't going to work," MacDiarmid said. "In our ministry we were making choices on what we couldn't do."

….Early learning and keeping funding for the most vulnerable children were areas where funding cuts weren't being considered, MacDiarmid said, and was very happy to annouce the arrival of full day kindergarten, starting next year.

"What we know about this is $1 or early learning can save $17 of regular learning, so it was one of those things you can't afford not to do," MacDiarmid said….