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B.C. parents will receive $40 per day per child under the age 13 if schools are not open in September, Minister of Finance Mike de Jong announced today.

The $40 per day will be paid by savings from the teachers’ strike.

De Jong says that if there is no deal with teachers by September, the BCTF will lose any hope of receiving strike savings.

Parents will be able to claim their $40 per day per child through a website set up by the provincial government.

BCTF President Jim Iker says the decision strips funding from B.C. students.

“This announcement from the government to strip education funding from BC students is a blatant and divisive attempt to prolong disruption in BC schools,” reads a statement issued by Iker.

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“This scheme will not help improve class sizes, increase support for children with special needs, or provide more one-on-one time for all students. It is my hope that the government will redirect its energies into reaching an agreement with BC teachers through mediation this summer.”

Iker says the BCTF has been in “regular contact” with the government over the past three weeks. He once again called on the government to bring in a mediator.