The following statement was issued today by Judy Foote, Minister of Education. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Ministerial Panel report released

Seven months ago I asked two of our province�s most eminent educators, Dr. Len Williams and Dr. Ron Sparkes, to undertake a critical examination of the delivery of education in our schools and to make recommendations on matters of curriculum and supports to the K-12 education system, including a new framework for the allocation of teachers. Today I released the report of the Ministerial Panel, an insightful and directional report that I believe will help bring renewed strength and stability to our education system.

The panel had a broad mandate which expanded as parents, educators and other interested individuals and groups brought forward a range of issues and concerns related to student learning in classrooms. It is clear from my first reading of the report that the panel has responded with recommendations that address these issues. The panel members have dealt with the key issues in a very direct manner, setting a course for education in this province. That course begins by designating and ensuring access to an essential program linked to our Essential Graduation Learnings which includes, in addition to areas such as mathematics and science, music, art and a Newfoundland and Labrador history program for all students. The panel then built a teacher allocation framework around this essential program while recognizing the very real differences inherent in schools of different sizes, the need for greater resource levels in the early grades, the challenges faced by schools in rural communities and the need for a new model of distance learning. The new framework also addresses provision of support resources such as additional guidance counselors, reading and early literacy specialists and a greater allocation of administrative time.

In their report, Drs. Sparkes and Williams bring forward significant recommendations on supports for learning, teacher education and professional development and the meaningful integration of new technologies into both educational content and delivery. They further recognize the need to strengthen the areas of student assessment, certification and school-level accountability.

I am pleased to announce today that government has accepted, in principle, the major recommendations of the report, including the recommendation of a new framework for teacher allocations that will retain some 340 teachers who, under the previous allocation formula, would have been lost due to enrolment decline. Government will also act immediately to reinstate public examinations in 2001 in a number of third year high school courses; we will develop comprehensive assessments in Grades 3, 6 and 9 and we will develop a system of school-level public reports using key performance indicators. We will hire a music consultant in the Department of Education, and we encourage boards to proceed immediately to hire reading specialists. We will proceed as well to hire two auditors to ensure the best educational and administrative practices are followed at the district and school levels. In the 2000-01 budget, we have included additional funding for the implementation of curriculum and for teacher professional development. Within the next week my officials will be reviewing the report in detail and will convene an implementation team to move forward immediately on those proposals and recommendations put forth by the panel which don�t have an impact on collective bargaining.

As minister, I also recognize this report as a significant blueprint for education delivery in our province, a province faced with a 30 to 40 per cent student enrolment decline over the next 10 years, mainly in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. We must ensure that all students, in all schools and communities are afforded opportunities to attain knowledge and skills from a range of courses and programs.

The implementation of the panel�s recommendations on distance learning will not only improve the current system, but will position the province as an innovator in rural and remote education delivery.

Government will move immediately to implement the panel�s proposal related to distance learning. A director will be hired and course development, under the new model will begin. This new model represents a departure from the current teleconference model, a model which, I hasten to add, has served us well for many years, in that many more courses will be offered, delivery will be more flexible, and access will be from any computer with Internet access or CD Rom capabilities. The new system will keep many of the strengths of the present system, such as remote teachers or E-teachers but will also involve mediating teachers with students in classrooms. This is not a feature of the current system. The centre will be up and running in its development phase this spring and will enrol its first high school students in the 2001-2002 school year with expansion to adult learners in the years following.

I am very excited about this mode of delivery, particularly because of the opportunity it will present to students, whose access to courses such as music, art and technology would otherwise be limited and because it will provide, in a very meaningful way, a level of comfort and competence with new technologies - skills students will need in order to avail themselves of opportunities in the modern world.

The ministerial panel is to be commended for its thorough consultations and deliberations. The review was a challenging one given the short time frame, the number of issues and concerns and the high level of interest, not only from the education sector, but from many other interested groups in the province. The environment of declining enrolments and structural reform added to the complexity of the situation. This panel approached the task with dedication and vision and has developed a model of educational delivery which will shape the future of education in this province for years to come.

This government is committed to reducing program disparity and ensuring equality of access for all students regardless of the location of their community. The distance learning component of the panel�s report, together with the teacher allocation framework and the designation of an essential program are components of an overall framework designed to realize these goals.

2000 04 05                                                             2:20 p.m.