Education
March 29, 2010
A
Secure Future Through Education: Budget 2010 Invests in
Our Children and Youth
The Williams Government continues to ensure that
students in Newfoundland and Labrador receive a quality
education through excellence in programming and
curriculum. Budget 2010 builds on the substantial
progress made in the province's education system, with a
record $1.3 billion investment this year.
"Quality education is vital for our youth and for the
prosperity of our province," said the Honourable Darin
King, Minister of Education. "Our government has made
tremendous advances in education in recent years and we
are continuing to make the right investments in Budget
2010 so that we can provide the best learning
opportunities for students of all ages – children, youth
and adults."
K-12 Education
An additional $1.9 million will be invested in Budget
2010 for the capping of class sizes in Grades 6 and 9.
With this investment, capped class sizes will be fully
integrated throughout Grades K-9 for the 2010 school
year.
The number of student assistant hours will increase
by over 25,000 per year through an investment of
$383,900 in Budget 2010, with an annual cost of
$550,000. This will bring the total annual budget to
$14.6 million to help meet the diverse requirements of
students with special needs and support inclusive
classroom environments.
This initiative also complements the advances made to
better respond to the needs of children with autism in
the school system. These include the provision of the
latest standardized testing materials; an
inclusive education pilot project; development of a
teacher resource package for autism spectrum disorder to
be distributed to all schools; and a provincial
professional development plan that addresses aspects of
teaching students with autism to be delivered to
teachers and student assistants in the 2010 school year.
Budget 2010 also includes $2.2 million to complete
the implementation of the Excellence in Mathematics
strategy in Grades 3, 6 and 9 and to begin expansion of
the strategy into high school. This funding will support
the continued development of new curriculum and provide
new textbooks and resources.
Enhancing Learning Opportunities
To help prepare young children for
their school years, the Provincial Government will
introduce an Early Childhood Learning framework.
Extensive consultations will be held with parents,
educators and community partners on the proposed
framework. Budget 2010
includes $127,500 to begin this process.
Budget 2010 will also include $380,000, as announced
through the Poverty Reduction Strategy, for the
development of resource kits for children and families,
as part of the new framework.
"A sustainable and viable economy depends upon high
literacy levels," said Minister King . "Literacy is the
means by which our children become strong, critical and
creative thinkers who are able to contribute to society
and our culture as adults. Budget 2010 outlines our plan
to strengthen educational opportunities for all ages,
from birth through to adulthood."
A new strategic adult literacy plan will be launched
in 2010-11 through an allocation of $2.3 million through
the Labour Market Agreement (LMA). The plan, which was
developed through consultations with community partners,
aims to raise awareness of literacy programs; enhance
programming accessibility and effective practices; and
increase participation province-wide. A total of $8.1
million, funded by the LMA and the Provincial
Government, will be provided over three years for the
plan. The Provincial Government entered into a new
Labour Market Agreement with the Federal Government on
September 5, 2008. The LMA is intended to help address
existing gaps in employment and training supports for
non-EI eligible individuals as well as low-skilled,
employed workers.
Post-Secondary Education
In keeping with its progress on alleviating financial
concerns for post-secondary students, the Provincial
Government will invest an additional $6 million this
fiscal year to maintain the tuition freeze at Memorial
University and College of the North Atlantic.
Following the conclusion of the three-year
implementation plan for the Skills Task Force report,
the Provincial Government will renew its commitment to
supporting skilled trades and apprenticeship with
funding of $4 million for 2010-11. This funding will
address training capacity; modernization and renovations
for training campuses; support for the Industry
Coordinating Committee; and, support for training
programs at the College of the North Atlantic Labrador
West campus.
Other highlights for the post-secondary education
system in Budget 2010 include the following:
$294,500 will be provided to Memorial
University and Eastern Health this year for the
doctoral program in clinical psychology. This
funding will increase to $649,600 annually in
2012-13;
As announced in December 2009, Budget 2010
dedicates $2 million to support autonomy at Sir
Wilfred Grenfell in Corner Brook;
An additional $2 million will be allocated to
the School of Graduate Studies at Memorial
University for fellowships, in support of the
school remaining competitive in Canadian and
international markets;
$800,000 in funding will be provided to
Memorial University for continued support of
national and international marketing programs;
and,
The Provincial Government will support an
electronic registration system for College of
the North Atlantic, as well as the development
of the college's academic plan.
"This year we are striking a balance to build on the
significant progress we have made in the education
system while remaining fiscally responsible," said
Minister King. "Budget 2010 ensures that all students
have the resources and opportunities required to succeed
in K-12 and beyond."
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Media contact:
Tara Power
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 727-5953
tarapower@gov.nl.ca
2010 03 29 2:05 p.m.
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