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Education
August 21, 2012

Education Investments Continue at Record Levels

Claims by the Official Opposition that education is of declining importance to the Provincial Government are unfounded and inaccurate, the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Education, said today.

“This government is committed to providing a quality education to all students in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Jackman “While student enrolment has actually decreased 17 per cent, by over 14,000 students since we took office in 2003, our investment in support of K-12 education has increased a dramatic 47 per cent, from $591 million to $867 million this year.”

Minister Jackman noted that the education system in Newfoundland and Labrador is better resourced today than ever before.

“Despite misleading comments from the Opposition critic, our children are not receiving a second-rate education,” said Minister Jackman. “Since 2003 our per-pupil investment has increased 77 per cent. In 2008, we introduced a new teacher allocation model, with an annual investment of over $32 million. If the old formula was still in effect, there would be 822 fewer teachers in our system today. In fact, at 11.9 to 1, Newfoundland and Labrador has the lowest student-teacher ratio of any province in Canada.”

To meet the needs of students in the 21st century, the Provincial Government has invested in new curriculum, new technologies, and skilled trades programming. The Provincial Government has also eliminated standard school fees, extended the free textbook policy to include high school students and continues to invest in music, theatre and visual arts programming.

Since 2004, about $567 million has been allocated for school infrastructure throughout the province. Nine new schools have opened, 10 more are in various stages of planning or construction and 12 major extension and renovation projects have been completed. In addition, more than 1,700 repairs and maintenance projects have been undertaken. This level of infrastructure investments is unprecedented in the province’s history.

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

2012 08 21                                                  4:15 p.m.

 
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