Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, and Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education, have released the following statement for the National Summit on Islamophobia, hosted by the Government of Canada on Thursday, July 22, 2021:

A community roundtable will bring together nearly 40 community organizations, rightsholders and education partners to address racism in education and help shape the provincial K-12 Anti-Racism in Education Action Plan.

Students, families and school staff in Kelowna’s Wilden neighbourhood can look forward to a new elementary school now that a site has been purchased to meet growing demand in the community.

Students and families in the Cedar Hill neighbourhood will soon have a safer, environmentally friendly middle school.

$288 million of dedicated, pandemic-related funding has been fully allocated to schools and districts and has helped keep schools open and safe for students and staff throughout the school year.

The upgraded, expanded Victoria High school will be home to new child care spaces, an artificial turf field and dedicated space for the Inter-Cultural Association of Victoria to serve people in the community when it is ready for students in September 2023.

Students and families are getting a new, larger and seismically safe Moody Elementary school with room for projected growth in the community, as well as new child care spaces.

Families will have new options for child care on school grounds and through recreation-based programs, thanks to recent changes to the Province’s Child Care Licensing Regulation.

A 325-seat addition and new child care spaces at Queen Elizabeth Elementary will provide a better learning experience for children in New Westminster.