|
Literacy Network Ad-hoc Group established Education Minister Tom Hedderson is pleased to announce that government is continuing to move forward with its commitments to the literacy community of the province. In the fall of 2002, a consultant conducted an evaluation of the Literacy Development Council (LDC) which involved interviews with literacy stakeholders in the province. The conclusions from this evaluation included consensus among literacy stakeholders that a grassroots organization focused on promotion and advocacy is most appropriate for the province. For the past year, the Literacy Development Council and the Department of Education have been working together to identify an action plan to address the findings of the evaluation. This involves winding up the operations of the LDC to ensure a smooth transition to a new provincial literacy grassroots network. The LDC offices will close late December 2004, with the newly formed Literacy Network Ad-hoc Group (LNAG) of literacy stakeholders continuing the work of many of the LDC's initiatives. "This government is unwavering in its commitment to literacy and lifelong learning in our province. We have listened to the literacy stakeholders in our communities and we have actioned their recommendations on a need for change," said Minister Hedderson. "I want to assure stakeholders that the wind-up of the LDC will not affect provincial grant funding to non-profit community-based organizations, as government will continue to provide these grants through a newly formed Division of Adult Learning and Literacy in the department." "Our members have long felt that the legislated mandate of LDC was too broad and many of our policy and programming responsibilities were more appropriately tasked to the Department of Education," stated LDC chairperson Paul Lahey. "We are pleased that the LDC evaluation has allowed us to now move forward in a direction which responds more appropriately to the needs of the literacy community." "LNAG was formed by members of the literacy community who came together for a common purpose: to establish a provincial grassroots network to respond to the needs of the literacy community," stated Caroline Vaughan, a LNAG spokesperson. "Unlike LDC which is a legislated organization, LNAG has been organized by the literacy community. We feel that the new provincial literacy network will be better able to respond to individual and community literacy needs throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, providing an effective means of sharing information and resources and a backdrop for meaningful collaboration." "On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, I offer my sincere thanks to all those involved with the LDC over the years, and best wishes to LNAG as it moves forward in the establishment of Newfoundland and Labrador's new grassroots literacy network," said Minister Hedderson. Media contact: 2004 12 20 12:25 p.m. |
||
|
