Last week, the province announced funding increases for adult learning centres and literacy programs, to the tune of $381,000.

That brings this year's funding to 20.25 million dollars.

The Portage Learning and Literacy Centre received an additional $10,000 as a result, and Education Director Caroline Cannon calls it good news, because it's been several years since they've seen an increase. She says it'll have an impact on their literacy program.

"What it's going to allow us to do is to have more one-on-one and group work activities, particularly in the area of math. We have a lot of needs in math, and math would be the one thing that prevents a lot of our students from going on into the Mature-12 program, and then to graduate. it could be the one thing to hold them back."

Cannon says the increase is important on the adult learning side as well, which is her largest budget area, covering all operational costs.

"So what that does is allows me to operate at a level that I should be operating at, as I haven't been for the last several years. So what it ends up doing is allows me, rather than taking money out of, say resources, I can now replenish my resource budget, and then those resources definitely effect the students directly."

Cannon adds the Centre's under the Education Department again, and they've always had a good relationship with Minister Ian Wishart.