Adult Basic Education and literacy remain priorities for minister and the Department of Education

Education Minister Joan Burke was compelled today to clarify incorrect and misleading statements released yesterday by the Office of the Official Opposition concerning Adult Basic Education (ABE) programming in the province.

"I respect Mr. Butler�s interest in ABE funding; however, his comments do not represent the reality of the situation. Funding for ABE Level I at the Deer Lake Learning Center is not being terminated. Rather, it will be redirected to another area of the province where there is a greater demand for the program. However, it is still the hope that the center will be able to attract the required number of students, which is 12."

This number reflects the student/teacher ratio and represents one full class per teacher, which is consistent with the student/teacher ratio for ABE Levels II and III. This ratio was determined in September 2003.

"The decision to have a full class size set at 12 was not arbitrary, as Mr. Butler states. Rather, it was a decision made by the former administration under the watch of Gerry Reid, education minister of the day, and current leader of the official opposition," said Minister Burke. "It is abundantly clear that Mr. Butler knows little about the current situation regarding the Deer Lake Learning Center and even less about student/teacher ratios. If he had chosen to research the matter, he could have looked no further than his colleague, Mr. Reid."

Funding for ABE programming in the province is secure and, in fact, there has been a 56 per cent increase in literacy grants for this year. "Low literacy rates are a great concern for me as Minister of Education and for this government as a whole, and there is a real need for adult academic upgrading opportunities. If the Deer Lake Learning Centre is not successful in its recruitment efforts, we will ensure students currently enrolled will be able to complete their ABE Level I programming."

Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, (709 729-0048, 689-2624

2006 01 26                        1:55 p.m.