Minister looks ahead to education priorities on first day of school

Tens of thousands of Calgary kids returned to school Thursday and for some students it was the first time they got to check out their new digs.

A total of nine new schools have opened in both Calgary and Edmonton this year.

Education Minister Dave Hancock tells 660News, even with the new facilities, there's still more work to be done with some communities still needing new schools that have experienced population growth.

Hancock says the province has made great strides, but there's also still quite a bit of work to do in preparation of introducing a new Education Act in the spring session of 2011.

On a lighter note, the minister also reflected on his first day of school saying that growing up in a rural community, it was a chance to reconnect with friends who he didn't get to see over the summer.