Minister announces teacher allocations for 1999/2000 school year "Government is re-investing $11.8 million into the education system to reduce the loss in the number of teaching positions from the schools of Newfoundland and Labrador, that would have occurred at the end of this school year because of enrolment decline and school closures," said Minister of Education Judy Foote. This re-investment means that 236 teaching positions, that would otherwise have been lost due to the decline in student enrolment and the closure of some schools at the end of the last school year, will be retained. If government had strictly adhered to the formula, 418 teaching positions would have been eliminated. However, government is putting back 236 teaching positions in order to continue to provide a high quality of education. Ms. Foote said: "Government has taken this step as part of its continuing commitment to reinvest money in education reform." The minister said that requests by some school boards for an absolute moratorium on teacher reductions is impossible in the face of rapidly declining enrolments in the province. She noted that the province's school population has declined by almost 15,000 students in the last four years and by approximately 4,200 or about four per cent since last year. The minister said: "This demonstrates government's on-going commitment to the improvement of educational opportunities for our students and our resolve to continue with education reform." Media contact: Nancy Healey, Communications, (709) 729-0048. ------------------------- BACKGROUNDER STUDENT ENROLMENT
TEACHERS
SCHOOLS
1999 03 22 4:10 p.m. |
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