Why has the Pallister government promised so much on education and done so little?

Tuesday May 29th, I asked the Premier why his government was promising so much when it comes to education but has done so little - and why effective and innovative approaches are not been taken province-wide more quickly. 

New Approaches to Education

Mr. Gerrard: And yet the Premier has not even committed yet to implement the education standard for–under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act.

      Madam Speaker, as we learned at a forum I held recently on primary and secondary education, we need improved support for teachers; we need to be quicker at taking effective innovations province-wide, like the Roots of Empathy, Kids at Play and effective alternative learning approaches, as have been used in the Seine River School Division–approaches using music and art to promote learning and support for Manitoba's strengths in French-language education.

      Why is this government, which has promised so much, done so little?

Mr. Pallister: Well, I'm not accepting at all the premise, the preamble, the member offers, Madam Speaker, because he does so without analysis or without the ability to support with fact. I would only say that we are investing close to half a billion dollars more in education this year alone that was the case, ever, under the previous government.

      And so, if the member has suggestions on reallocation of the funds we are investing, he should first recognize, quite accurately, that contribution and that willingness to direct the resources that Manitobans entrust to us as a government towards education as a top priority.