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Minister pleased with Throne Speech focus on education The primary focus of the 2003 Speech from the Throne was education. Gerry Reid, Minister of Education, was very pleased with details provided in the Throne Speech, which highlighted the government�s commitment to our education system and our students, from kindergarten to post-secondary. "We all know that the key to any successful society is an educated society," said Minister Reid. "Today�s Throne Speech is a clear indication that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to ensuring our students are prepared to lead this province into a bright and prosperous future. The speech outlined not only the many successes of our education system, but enumerated our goals and plans for the coming years." The Department of Education focuses on all aspects of student life, and all of those factors which contribute to healthy and productive citizens. For example, the department recently introduced the KinderStart program, a province-wide pre-Kindergarten orientation session designed to prepare students for the rigours of formal schooling. "We recognize the critical importance of the early years in determining future success," said Minister Reid. "As such, we are placing great importance on standardized testing in the primary and elementary grades, which allows us to determine how our students are doing, and identify areas that need improvement. It is very encouraging to see that our young students are performing extremely well. Recent results indicate that 90 per cent of our primary students are writing at the appropriate level when they leave Grade 3. These are indeed remarkable results." Primary students are not the only recent success story. Students at all levels in the education system continue to perform well. "Our high student performance is reflective of our investment in education to date, and is why we will continue to invest so heavily in the education system," added the minister. "We have invested $170 million in school construction and renovations since 1995. We continue to retain teaching positions above what is recommended, thus maintaining the best pupil-teacher ratio in the country. We have launched the Safe and Caring Schools Action Plan, so students are free to take full advantage of every educational opportunity open to them in a safe, secure learning environment. These are just some of the positive initiatives this government has undertaken for the benefit of our children." The Speech from the Throne also laid out government�s goals for the future of the education system in the province. "By 2006, we want students to rank among the best in the world," said Minister Reid. "We want our students in rural and remote communities to have the same opportunities as their urban counterparts and we have specific plans to accomplish these goals. We will expand our comprehensive provincial testing programs and continue working on diagnostic assessments so our teachers can use results from the tests to improve students achievement. "We are working on placing the entire high school program in an e-learning format so all students, regardless of geographic location, can access all learning opportunities and be taught by the most qualified teachers in the province. And we have agreed to make a further $5 million investment in broadband infrastructure for the benefit of the students. We are awaiting confirmation of partnership commitments from the federal government and the private sector. "Our agenda is progressive and dynamic. It is imperative our education system meet the needs of the students of today, who will become the leaders of tomorrow. They must have the skills and knowledge to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the future and it us up to us as a government to provide them with those skills." Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709) 729-0048, or (709) 727-3438 2003 03 19 3:10 p.m. |
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