Northern Manitoba school divisions are to be incorporated into the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium.

The provincial government is investing over 400 thousand dollars to expand consortium services in the Mystery Lake and Flin Flon school districts and the Kelsey school division.

That includes support services in numeracy and literacy as well as professional development for teachers and staff.

The consortium will also launch a Middle Years Literacy Action Research project with the Frontier School Division for grades five to eight for both students and educators.

Education Minister Wayne Ewasko notes the expansion is in response to recommendations from Manitoba’s Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12