Additional funding for professional development

"I am pleased that we have been able to allocate an additional $900,000 for teacher professional development this year," said Education Minister Judy Foote today.

"The Department of Education recognizes that teachers� access to professional development is important in the delivery of a quality education to the students of our province. In order to ensure teachers acquire the most recent teaching strategies and skills, they must have opportunities for sustained professional development," added Minister Foote.

This additional investment brings the total budget for professional development to $5.2 million for the 2000/2001 fiscal year.

In 2000-2001, this money will be targeted at professional development activities in the areas of reading and mathematics. Consultations on the Strategic Literacy Plan and preliminary reports from the ministerial panel indicate that more emphasis must be placed on ensuring children can read at the Grade 3 level by the end of primary school. To achieve this objective, the Department of Education must ensure all teachers are aware of the latest techniques in teaching children to read. Also, the department will be implementing new curriculum in mathematics and as a result, will do intensive professional development in this area.

Media contact: Andrea Maunder, Communications, (709) 729-0048.\

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