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The following statement was issued by the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education. It was also read in the House of Assembly: Provincial Investments Translate into Growth for Distance Education Programs Advancing technology, especially to benefit rural areas of the province, is a goal of the Provincial Government. The Internet and the World Wide Web open up a new learning dynamic as people can study anywhere on the planet. I am pleased to inform this honourable house that due to an investment of $1.5 million in distance learning at Memorial University last year, enrolment has increased significantly. For the fall 2008 semester, collective distance education registrations have increased 13.1 per cent since 2007. Undergraduate registrations are up 12.8 per cent, while graduate registrations have grown by 15.6 per cent. The most significant growth was seen in the science faculty, with an increase in undergraduate registrations of 41.1 per cent. This funding has allowed the university to fast-track course development. Full undergraduate degrees are now available in business, arts, police studies, nursing, technology and maritime studies. Graduate programs are now available in physical education, nursing and education. In fact, the masters in physical education is the first online graduate program in physical education in Canada. A fundamental belief of this government is accessible, equitable education. We believe that students deserve a quality education, regardless of where they live in Newfoundland and Labrador. At the K-12 level, we have increased funding to the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation by $1.6 million this year. This funding is improving the distance education experience for students. Thirty-six distance education high school courses are now offered at 109 schools, which represent 80 per cent of all senior high schools in the province. Advances in distance learning technologies have opened up a whole new world to the students of today, compared to our own generation � technologies that make distance education a truly interactive experience. This is evident in the performance of our CDLI students. I am pleased to report that these students are achieving scores in key subject areas such as math, language arts and the sciences, that are equal to, or even higher than, those in regular high school classes. With these investments we are taking courses to the students. As the increase in enrolments clearly indicates, students throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have the desire to take advantage of every opportunity available, and this has spurred the growth of distance learning. 2008 12 09
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