Kindergarten to Grade 12 students in B.C.'s rural and remote communities will benefit from 50 new teachers this year, recruited through the province's new hiring incentives.
Northern B.C. communities in School District 87 (Stikine), School District 91 (Nechako Lakes), School District 57 (Prince George), School District 81 (Fort Nelson), and School District 60 (Peace River North) are included.
"Our government's support for hiring more teachers means that students, no matter where they live, can have access to the best education possible," said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care in a release. "This work is part of our government's plan to develop a stable and skilled K-12 workforce for the future."
$400,000 in funding was provided for the recruitment incentive which started this spring, through a partnership with the province, the BC Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA) and the British Columbia School Superintendents Association's (BCSSA) northern chapter.
The Ministry of Education and Child Care will also provide $1.5 million over three years to provide more incentives to rural and remote school districts, as part of the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan.
The province is also working with Indigenous stakeholders, school districts, unions, post-secondary institutions and the BC Teachers' Council on a broader K-to-12 workforce strategy, investing a total of $12.5 million.
