Sarah Hoffman, NDP Critic for Education, made the following statement following the government announcement of the rapid testing pilot in schools:

"In December, I called on the UCP to provide rapid testing in our schools. Staff and students  had just gone through months of being pummeled by the effects of COVID-19 without any support from the Government.

“Today I’m glad to hear that the Minister of Education has finally taken my advice, but I worry what effect the delay in action by the UCP has cost Alberta families. The Minister’s delays have hurt Albertans.

“I hope that the UCP will implement more of our recommendations we made in December. We asked the government to hire additional educational staff. But in the UCP’s budget we see 2,000 less staff and 20,000 more students crammed into classrooms with no additional funding. 

“We will continue to call for more staff, smaller class sizes, and extra supports for students with disabilities.”