Grade 1 students in Alberta are set to receive additional supports to help them catch up on their education after COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Province announces $10 million to help Grade 1 students catch up

Feb 14, 2023 | 2:31 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Government of Alberta has announced funding that it says will help students overcome the barriers that were imposed by COVID-19 disruptions.

The province is providing an additional $10 million in the 2022-23 school year to help students in the first grade who need help catching up to their grade level in math and literacy.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says it is important to assist students early on in their educational journeys because the foundational skills they develop now will help them later on.

LaGrange adds that there were many disruptions to classroom learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the virtual classes that were offered during that period were not as conducive to learning as being physically present in a school environment.

A media release from the provincial government states that “Ongoing research and feedback from school authorities, teachers and parents indicates students in Grade 1 [were] experiencing challenges in their reading and math skills and were affected by learning disruptions while in kindergarten or preschool, and for many of these students, Grade 1 is their first year learning in a school setting.”

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The new funding is in addition to the $45 million in supports for students in grades one to three in 2021-22.

Thanks to the first round of educational supports, the province reports that 70,000 students regained an average of nearly seven months of literacy and numeracy development. However, data from the government also indicated that approximately 20 per cent of students needed further intervention to fully catch up.

LaGrange says, “Alberta’s government is building on last year’s success, where we helped at-risk students catch up to their peers by more than half a year’s worth of learning. We are taking action to prevent future challenges for our youngest learners, who are in the critical years of their development.”

The province says teachers spent the first four months of this school year assessing students and identifying any needed interventions and supports.

School authorities can begin applying for funding immediately to address the identified needs.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now