Schools in Manitoba will no longer have to cap their Kindergarten to Grade 3 class sizes at 20. A new Early Years Education Initiative, announced Tuesday, will replace the smaller classes initiative, including the funding that supported it. Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart says the new initiative will give schools the power to follow what works for them.

"We think it will give the flexibility to school divisions to focus on the specific needs of the students. We have some really great and innovative programs at school divisions all across the province in terms of improving literacy and numeracy."

Under the new initiative, $3 million will be shared among all of Manitoba's school divisions, with each division being given the power to determine how and where it's best used. Wishart says the government will watch that process closely.

"We'll be looking at the results. So, if a school division has very great success, we'll be wanting to share that across the province, sort of as a best practice. But we know that more of a factor than the number of kids in classes is the content of the class. So, if you have some kids who are doing really well, you can work with them and if you have a few kids who need a little extra attention, you separate out that group and you focus on giving them extra."

The new K-3 initiative will take effect this fall. He notes the current smaller classes initiative lacks a formal evaluation system. Wishart says the new program will user third-party expertise to evaluate outcomes.