The report outlines how Manitoba can better support students, citing better access to Indigenous teachers and programs, accessible transportation and school feeding programs.

The Poverty and Education Working Group, established in 2021, was formed to study the impact of poverty on education. Their role is also to determine the actions needed to remove barriers facing Manitoba students, the province said in a news release Friday.

The recommendations in the report come from feedback from 2,000 students, school staff and community members during engagement sessions and a survey conducted between April and August 2022.

There is a profound association between health outcomes, school performance, socioeconomic status, and overall quality of lifesays the report.

The report contains nine areas of recommendations, including food security, mental health and the specific support Aboriginal students and those living in foster care need.

One of the recommendations suggests that the province explore creating a model to treat schools as community centers.

The report also recommends that the province provide cheaper Internet access in rural and northern Manitoba through partnerships with service providers.

In terms of transport, access to free bus tickets and changes to the Public Schools Act to ensure accessible transport for children in poverty were also proposed.

Supporting children in foster care is also recommended, particularly by providing them with spaces to visit their families.

Recommendations also include improving the breakdown of the tuition waiver program for former foster children and strengthening relationships between Indigenous foster students and elders.

Racism, a concern

The report also highlights deficiencies in racism education in Manitoba.

Some comments in the survey of high school students indicate that there is insufficient education about poverty and racism in the province.

The government is currently working with school departments that have developed their own anti-racism policies, such as Seven Oaks school divisionto strategize with schools across the province, the report says.

Recruiting and retaining Indigenous teachers and teachers from other underrepresented groups should be a priority, the report said.

On Friday, the province promised to consider recommendations from the report. The government immediately commits to reviewing school feeding programs and developing anti-racism policies for schools in Manitoba.

Nearly $600,000 was also pledged to expand the province’s community school program to five additional schools in communities affected by extreme poverty.

Established in 2005, this program currently supports 31 schools in Manitoba.