MTS has thrown its support behind initiatives aimed at reducing poverty in Manitoba.
The Society’s provincial executive voted recently to contribute $1,000 on behalf of Manitoba teachers to Make Poverty History, a collaborative coalition representing business, education, student, youth, Indigenous, newcomer, labour, women’s, disability, urban, rural, and northern communities. The coalition is committed to changing public policy to achieve a Manitoba without poverty.
MTS has also started a series of radio ads to encourage Manitobans to participate in an online survey launched by the provincial government. The survey is intended to collect opinions in advance of development of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.
Teachers are keenly aware of how poverty affects a child’s ability to learn. Students without safe housing and nutritious food struggle to be successful and form healthy relationships. That means difficulty in classes, health issues, and stress on social programs. It’s an issue facing Manitoba teachers every day, as they work to support students who arrive at school without the fundamental supports they need to focus and achieve. One in four children in the province lives in poverty, and the rates are even higher for Indigenous children.