The Solutions: Investing in knowledge and know-how

Investing in knowledge and know-how will give Ontario the economic edge it needs to remain competitive in the 21st century and beyond. An investment in education is an investment in the future.

• Over the next five years, the Good Places to Learn initiative will provide annual funding to school boards to enable them to undertake approximately $4 billion worth of projects to address the backlog of repairs and new school construction needed in the system.

• Approximately $1.4 billion will be invested over the next five years for planned school construction and to accommodate projected new enrolment growth.

• In addition, another $1.5 billion will be provided to boards over the next five years for ongoing renewal of school facilities.

• Approximately $1.8 billion will be provided over the next five years to support school construction already completed.

• $540 million is being invested to renew university and college facilities and buy new equipment, including $250 million in one-time investments in 2004-05.

• Over the next five years, $600 million will be invested in a major expansion of medical and graduate-school spaces. This investment will result in a 15 per cent increase in the number of doctors graduating each year, beginning in 2011-12, and 14,000 more graduate spaces. This expansion is in addition to the new Northern Ontario School of Medicine that will open in September 2005.

These are strategic, long-term investments that will translate into greater opportunities for our people, better jobs and economic growth for Ontario.