December 9, 1996
(Education)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Education Reform 
Highlights of Proposed Legislation

The public consultation process revealed an expectation of local involvement and control regarding decisions that affect children and the local community, while also recognizing the need for provincial standards and direction. The new legislation strikes a balance between government leadership and local autonomy and decision making in education.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

• All schools will be designated interdenominational, unless the parents of a sufficient number of children express the preference that their children attend a uni-denominational school.
• Parents will be given the opportunity to register their preference that their child attend an interdenominational school or a uni- denominational school.
• Children will attend the school nearest their home, in most circumstances.
• Government will provide funding for school bus transportation, where necessary, within the attendance zone of the school.
• School boards will be required to develop a long term educational plan for their district.
• All schools must be viable. To be viable, all schools will be required to offer a minimum core program which has been prescribed by the Minister of Education
• Small isolated schools which must exist will receive additional resources.
• School boards will have the flexibility to determine which schools remain open within available resources.

SCHOOL BOARDS

• The 10 new school boards will assume full responsibility for the administration of schools on January 1, 1997.
• All school boards will be interdenominational.
• All school board members will be elected during an election which is scheduled for the fall of 1997.
• School boards will provide local decision making and develop an educational plan for the district.
• All school boards will be required to develop a policy and establish an implementation plan for employment equity.
• There will be legislative conflict of interest provisions applicable to school board members.

SCHOOLS

• All schools will be required to have a school council which will provide an avenue for parents and members of the community to have meaningful input into the program of the school.
• Parents will have a right to be informed about the student's performance, attendance, and behavior; to have access to reports regarding the effectiveness of the school; and to consult the teachers regarding the student's education program.
• All schools will be required to prepare an annual report on school performance which will be available to parents and the public.
• Schools will be accountable to the Minister of Education for maintaining an adequate program and satisfactory performance standards.
• Corporal punishment will not be permitted in schools.

COMMISSION SCOLAIRE PROVINCIALE FRANCOPHONE

• Provision is made for a Commission Scolaire Provinciale Francophone
• Provision is made for an individual with rights under Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to have his or her children instructed in French.

THE DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION COUNCILS

• The current Denominational Education Councils are replaced with an interdenominational commission established to work with denominational committees of school boards.
• Under the new Term 17, the classes of persons represented by the Anglican, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, and United Churches will continue to have some rights in education.
• The effect of the changes to Term 17 is to remove the following powers which were previously held by the denominations:
  • to establish school boards and determine their boundaries,
    
  • to appoint persons to school boards,
    
  • to approve the constitutions and by-laws of school boards,
    
  • to receive funding for school construction,
    
  • to determine where school construction funding would be spent,
    
  • to determine whether individuals who wish to teach in this province are granted an initial teaching certificate,
    
  • to determine whether the teaching certificates of teachers are suspended or canceled
    
  • for each of the denominations or the integrated group of denominations to have a Denominational Education Council with a professional staff, paid for by government.
    

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOARD

• A provincial school construction board will be established to distribute funding for the building, renovation, and extension of schools, based on provincial priorities.

A TIMETABLE FOR REFORM December 1996

• Schools Act and Education Act passed.
  
• Current 27 school boards dissolved - December 31.

January 1997

• New school boards assume full responsibility for administration of schools - January 1.
  
• Designation process refined and finalized.
  
• Parental preference process initiated. Parents will complete a form to indicate their preference for the type of school they wish their child to attend.

February - March 1997

• Analyze student registration data.
  Determine which schools will be designated uni- denominational and which will be interdenominational

April 1997

• Establish attendance zones for schools.
  
• Announce designation of schools.
  
• Assign students to schools.
  
• Provide parents the opportunity to confirm registration of children in the school to which they have been assigned.

May 1997

• Confirm teacher assignments to schools for the 1997/98 school year.

June - August 1997

• Finalize school bus routes and schedules.

Fall 1997

• School Board Elections - to coincide with municipal elections

EDUCATION REFORM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SCHOOL BOARDS

1. How many people will sit on each interdenominational school board?
   • Each school board will consist of 18 members.
   • If the classes wish, 12 members will be elected to represent the denominational groups - Integrated, Pentecostal, and Roman Catholic.
   • 6 members will be elected "at large"
   • This is consistent with Term 17.
2. How will the number of representatives of each denominational group be decided?
   • The number will be based on the number of members of each denomination living in the school district.
   • This will be based on information obtained from Statistics Canada.
3. Who will be eligible for election to a school board?
   • Candidates must be qualified voters.
   • Candidates who are seeking election to one of the "at large" seats will not have to declare a religious affiliation.
   • Candidates who are seeking election as a denominational representative will be required to be a member of the denomination they are seeking to represent.
4. Who will be eligible to vote in a school board election?
   • A voter must be at least 18 years old.
   • A voter must be a Canadian citizen.
   • A voter must reside in the school district.
5. How will voting take place?
   • voters will be given ballots for candidates to be elected from 2 groups - at large, and denominational representatives.
   • voters may not vote for candidates in more than 1 denominational group.
6. Will voters have to declare their religious affiliation?
   • Voters will not have to declare affiliation with any religious denomination.

DENOMINATIONAL COMMITTEES

1. What is a denominational committee?
   • A denominational committee is a committee of the school board which has been appointed to deal with the rights which a denomination has under Term 17.
2. Why have denominational committees?
   • Term 17 grants rights in education to the classes of people represented by the following religious denominations:
     Anglican,
     Pentecostal,
     Presbyterian,
     Roman Catholic,
     Salvation Army,
     Seventh Day Adventist, and
     United Church.
   • The denominational committees have been established as a means for the denominations to exercise their rights.
3. How many denominational committees may be appointed for each school board?
   • Each school board may have up to four denominational committees.
   • Committees may be established for each of the denominational groups which have rights under Term 17.
   • They are: Integrated (Anglican, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, and United Church), Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, and Seventh Day Adventist.
4. How many people serve on a denominational committee?
   • School boards may appoint up to 4 trustees to serve on a denominational committee.
5. What powers does a denominational committee have with respect to a uni-denominational school?
   • For a uni-denominational school, a denominational committee may direct:
     - religious education, including teacher assignment for religious education
     - pastoral care, religious activities and observances
     - the philosophy and ambience of the school
     - the teaching of aspects of curriculum affecting religious beliefs
     - the student admission policy for the school
     - the hiring and dismissal of teachers
     - the use of schools outside of school hours
     
6. What powers does a denominational committee have with respect to an interdenominational school?
   • For an interdenominational school, a denominational committee may direct:
     - religious education
     - pastoral care
     - religious activities and observances
     for students of that denomination in that school

SCHOOLS

1. What is meant by school designation?
   • School boards will designate schools interdenominational or uni- denominational.
2. What is an interdenominational school?
   • An interdenominational school is one that is established and operated for students of all religious denominations.
3. What is a uni-denominational school?
   • A uni-denominational school is one that is established and operated for students of one of the religious denominations. School boards may establish uni-denominational schools for the following:
     - Pentecostal students
     - Roman Catholic students
     - Seventh Day Adventist students
4. Who will decide the designation of schools?
   • Early in 1997, all parents who will have children attending school during the 1997/98 school year will be given the opportunity to express their preference to have their children attend an interdenominational school or a uni-denominational school
   • If there is a sufficient number of students whose parents prefer that they attend a uni-denominational school, the board will be required to designate a school uni-denominational.
5. How will parents express their preference?
   • Parents will be asked to complete a form for each child and indicate whether they wish the child to attend an interdenominational or a uni-denominational school.
   • The completed forms will be returned to the school board office in a postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope.
6. What will happen if parents choose not to return the form?
   • If parents choose not to complete and return the form, it will be assumed they prefer that their child(ren) attend an interdenominational school.
7. If there is only one school in a community or area, how will its designation be decided?
   • If there is only one school in a community or an area, it will be designated interdenominational unless the parents of a majority of the students prefer that their children attend a uni-denominational school, in which case it will be designated uni-denominational.
8. When will the designations take effect?
   • Schools designations will be decided before the end of this school year and will take effect September 1997.
9. Will children attend the school nearest their home?
   • Generally speaking, yes.
10. If the nearest school is a uni-denominational school, which children will attend that school?
    • Children of parents who have expressed a preference for a uni- denominational school.
    • Children of all parents in the community if the school is the only school in the community or area.
    • Children of parents who may wish to send their child to the nearest school if the attendance policy of the uni- denominational school permits.
    • The attendance policies of uni-denominational schools will be set by the denominational committee which represents the denomination for which the school was established.
11. If the nearest school is an interdenominational school, which children will attend that school?
    • Children of parents who have expressed a preference that the child attend an interdenominational school.
    • Children of all parents in the community if the school is the only school in the community or area.
    • Children of parents who may wish to send their child to the nearest school.
    • The attendance policies of interdenominational schools will be set by the school board.
12. What is a viable school?
    • To be viable a school must offer a minimum core program which has been established by the Department of Education.
    • For high schools the minimum core program will be the program which is necessary for students to graduate and meet the entrance requirements of Memorial University.
    • All schools must be viable
13. How can small isolated schools be viable?
    • Small schools in isolated communities, or which are located too far from another school for the students to be bused, will be given additional resources in order for the school to offer a viable program.
14. Will some schools close?
    • School boards will determine the number of schools they will require.
    • It is likely that some schools will close as a result of consolidation of schools which were offering duplicate services under the denominational system.

STUDENT TRANSPORTATION

1. Will students be bused to school?
   • Government will provide core funding to school boards for school bus transportation.
   • Students eligible for busing will generally be bused to the nearest school.
2. Will lunch time busing be provided?
   • Government will not be providing funding for lunch time busing.
   • If parents choose, school boards may provide lunch time busing, for a fee.
3. Will school boards be able to charge a fee for school busing?
   • Government will continue to provide core funding for school busing.
   • School boards will be permitted to increase the level of busing by implementing a transportation fee.

TERM 17

1. What is the wording of the new Term 17?
   • The wording of the new Term 17 is as follows:

                                        
          "17. In lieu of section ninety-three of the Constitution Act,
          1867, the following shall apply in respect of the Province of
          Newfoundland:
     
          In and for the Province of Newfoundland, the Legislature shall
          have exclusive authority to make laws in relation to education
          but
     
          (a)  except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), schools
               established, maintained and operated with public funds
               shall be denominational schools, and any class having
               rights under this Term as it read on January 1, 1995
               shall continue to have the right to provide for religious
               education, activities and observances for the children of
               that class in those schools, and the group of classes
               that formed one integrated school system by agreement in
               1969 may exercise the same rights under this Term as a
               single class of persons;
     
          (b)  subject to provincial legislation that is uniformly
               applicable to all schools specifying conditions for the
               establishment or continued operation of schools,
     
               (i)       any class of persons referred to in
                         paragraph (a) shall have the right to have
                         a publicly funded denominational school
                         established, maintained and operated
                         especially for that class, and
     
               (ii)      the Legislature may approve the
                         establishment, maintenance and operation
                         of a publicly funded school, whether
                         denominational or non-denominational;
     
          (c)  where a school is established, maintained and operated
               pursuant to subparagraph (b)(i), the class of persons
               referred to in that subparagraph shall continue to have
               the right to provide for religious education, activities
               and observances and to direct the teaching of aspects of
               the curriculum affecting religious beliefs, student
               admission policy and the assignment and dismissal of
               teachers in that school;
     
          (d)  all schools referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) shall
               receive their share of public funds in accordance with
               scales determined on a non-discriminatory basis from time
               to time by the Legislature; and
     
          (e)  if the classes of persons having rights under this Term
               so desire, they shall have the right to elect not less
               than two thirds of the members of a school board, and any
               class so desiring shall have the right to elect the
               portion of that total that is proportionate to the
               population of the class in the area under the board's
               jurisdiction."
     
     

2. Has Term 17 changed from that proposed during the referendum of September 1995?
   • No, Term 17 which has been approved by the Federal Government is the same as that proposed during the referendum.