Dozens protest Alberta's return-to-school plan at legislature

EDMONTON -- Dozens of Albertans gathered at the legislature Thursday afternoon to protest the province's return-to-school plan.

Hold my Hand Alberta, a grassroots advocacy group, wants the Alberta government to increase funding for the education system.

The group is concerned about the lack of support for children with special needs after several education assistants lost their jobs in March.

• 'They’re scared': Parents of special needs children worried about return to class

"As we're going back into school, we still have those supports gone," said Shantel Sherwood with Hold My Hand Alberta. "They told us it was temporary but obviously not. They have let go more than 20,000 supports across Alberta…we're worried. We want to send our kids back but we feel we don't have a choice because when it was online, our children weren't helped either, so we feel it is not a choice."

At the start of the pandemic, the government redirected $128 million in education funding to its COVID-19 response.

Education Minister Tyler Shandro called the cuts temporary then.