Newfoundland and Labrador Boasts Best Student-Teacher Ratio of any Province

The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education, was shocked today to hear MHA Dale Kirby (NDP-St. John’s North) in the House of Assembly refer to the new needs-based teacher allocation model, established in 2008, as “flawed and outdated” given that this province has a student-teacher ratio of 11.9 to 1 – the best of any province in Canada.

The average student-teacher ratio in Canada is 14 to 1.

“Just a few years ago, this department and this government instituted a needs-based policy of teacher allocation,” Minister Jackman said, noting that had the Provincial Government followed the former allocation model, “there would be 800 fewer teachers in the system today.”

Those teachers are deployed throughout the education system. Over 150 have been added to maintain K-9 class size caps, and there are more specialist teachers such as music, physical education and French, more numeracy teachers, and more supports for school development and school leadership.

Minister Jackman also referred to the average K-9 class size in Newfoundland and Labrador, which has been reduced to 17.9, as compared to 20.5 in 2005.

Budget 2012: People and Prosperity provides $537.8 million, more than 62 per cent of the entire K-12 budget, for teachers’ salaries, substitute teachers, student assistants, professional development, and various services for teachers.

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Media contact:
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca

2012 05 16                                5:15 p.m.