1st Session, 43rd Legislature

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Bill 5

THE ADULT LITERACY ACT

(Assented to                                         )

WHEREAS higher literacy skills lead to reduced poverty and improve personal, economic and social outcomes for individuals, families and the community;

AND WHEREAS adults in Manitoba require literacy skills to take full advantage of current and future education and employment opportunities;

AND WHEREAS the government, literacy practitioners, newcomer organizations, Indigenous organizations and communities, education and training providers and appropriate non-government organizations across the adult education system need to work together to provide effective literacy programming for adults;

THEREFORE HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1   The following definitions apply in this Act.

"minister" means the minister appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council to administer this Act. (« ministre »)

"prescribed" means prescribed by regulation. (Version anglaise seulement)

Adult literacy strategy

2   The minister must, in collaboration with other departments and government agencies, literacy practitioners, newcomer organizations, Indigenous organizations and communities and appropriate non-government organizations, develop, implement and evaluate an adult literacy strategy for Manitoba.

Manitoba Adult Literacy Program

3(1)   The Manitoba Adult Literacy Program is hereby established as a component of the adult literacy strategy.

Purpose

3(2)   The purpose of the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program is to support literacy programs for adults seeking to improve their literacy skills. Support may include providing organizations that offer literacy programs for adults with funding, curriculum materials and other learning resources.

Eligibility criteria for funding

4(1)   To be eligible to receive funding under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program, an organization must

(a) meet the prescribed eligibility criteria;

(b) provide an adult literacy program that, in the opinion of the minister,

(i) offers sufficient hours of instruction over a sufficient period to make measurable improvements in the literacy of the adults who attend the literacy program, and

(ii) meets the prescribed requirements and standards;

(c) apply in the manner and provide the information required by the minister; and

(d) enter into an agreement with the minister that contains the prescribed terms and conditions, and any other terms and conditions required by the minister.

Grants from Consolidated Fund

4(2)   The Minister of Finance, on the requisition of the minister, may make grants out of money appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program.

Evaluating organizations and adult literacy programs

5   The minister may, for the purpose of evaluating an adult literacy program offered by an organization that has received funding under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program,

(a) require the organization to produce for examination or copying any of the following that are in its custody or under its control:

(i) a record, document or thing relating to the organization's operations,

(ii) information relating to the adults who attend the literacy program;

(b) inspect facilities, teaching materials and other aspects of the organization's learning environment;

(c) observe the manner in which the organization provides its literacy program;

(d) conduct interviews or surveys of adults who attend the literacy program and require the organization to provide information respecting adults who attend or attended the literacy program for the purpose of conducting off-site interviews or surveys; and

(e) take any other steps that the minister considers necessary to evaluate the adult literacy program.

Information sharing

6(1)   The minister may require the following to provide the minister with information to assist in developing, implementing and evaluating the adult literacy strategy and the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program:

(a) the other departments, branches and offices of the executive government and government agencies;

(b) an organization that has received funding under the Program.

Interpretation — "information"

6(2)   In this section, "information" includes

(a) personal information as defined in The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and

(b) personal health information as defined in The Personal Health Information Act, but only to the extent required to develop, implement and evaluate the adult literacy strategy and the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program in respect of adults with disabilities.

Non-identifying information

6(3)   Under this Act,

(a) personal information or personal health information required must be limited to the minimum amount necessary to accomplish the purpose for which it is required or disclosed; and

(b) the minister must not request personal information or personal health information if other information will serve the purpose of the request.

Annual report

7   The minister must include the following information in each annual report of the minister's department:

(a) a report on the adult literacy strategy for the fiscal year covered by the annual report;

(b) a summary of the outcomes attained under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program in the fiscal year covered by the annual report;

(c) for that fiscal year,

(i) the total amount of funding provided under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program, and

(ii) the total number of adults attending adult literacy programs that received funding.

Regulations

8   The minister may make regulations

(a) establishing requirements and standards respecting literacy programs for adults, including requirements and standards respecting

(i) minimum hours of instruction and the duration of programming,

(ii) admission, the methods of instruction and the qualifications of instructors and program coordinators, and

(iii) the availability and quality of teaching materials;

(b) establishing terms and conditions under which organizations may receive funding under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program, including prescribing criteria for determining eligibility;

(c) respecting records to be made and maintained by organizations that receive funding under the Manitoba Adult Literacy Program, and the information that those organizations are required to provide to the minister, including records and information respecting

(i) financial matters,

(ii) the qualifications of instructors and program coordinators, and

(iii) attendance and measures of the performance of adults who attend or attended the literacy program;

(d) respecting the times at which and the form and manner in which records and information under clause (c) are to be provided to the minister;

(e) defining words and phrases that are used but not defined in this Act;

(f) respecting any other matter that the minister considers necessary or advisable to carry out the purpose of this Act.

C.C.S.M. reference

9   This Act may be referred to as chapter A6 of the Continuing Consolidation of the Statutes of Manitoba.

Coming into force

10   This Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation.