Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 14-17(4) asked by Mr. Hawkins on February 20, 2013, to the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, regarding reduction in inclusive schooling funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the spring of 2012, the Members of the Legislative Assembly encouraged me to use the information from the program review office (PRO), and other studies to develop more effective strategies for the development and education of our children. On February 16, 2012, the PRO had noted that Inclusive Schooling funding was well beyond legislated levels.
On May 31, 2012, the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning (SCOPP) recommended to the Premier a number of actions respecting Early Childhood Development, including the transfer of some resources from Inclusive Schooling to Early Childhood Development beginning in 2012-13.
I agreed with the Members about the need to take immediate action to reallocate Inclusive Schooling funding in order to invest in early childhood programs.
On June 7, 2012, the Premier informed SCOPP that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) would re-profile $1 million from Inclusive Schooling to increase Early Childhood Development funding for 2012-13.
The ECE strategy chosen was to move $1 million from the $27 million Inclusive Schooling budget to early childhood programs. We decided to move funds from those areas of the Inclusive Schooling funding formula that did not directly impact staffing levels or services to students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
