|
Roland Butler, Opposition Critic for Education and MHA for the District of
Port De Grave, feels the recent cutbacks to the Newfoundland School for the
Deaf will create a less than stable learning environment for students as a
new school year commences.
The education minister announced earlier this month that there will be a
75 per cent reduction in staffing. While the minister guarantees that there
will be no change to the level or quality of services provided to the
students, Butler feels that not only will staff reduction be a negative
factor in itself, but the chaos and uncertainty that still surrounds the
revamped staffing model will impact on the students emotional and
educational development.
"I have met with some staff affected by this downsizing and it is clear
that many issues are still unresolved and a great deal of frustration,
confusion and anger are evident as this overhaul takes place," says Butler.
"It does not take much insight to see that this stress will seriously affect
an optimized learning environment. Furthermore, these staff members are very
concerned about the inadequate number of hands-on staff to manage and
nurture the children in the four wings of that building.
"The minister and her department are also totally accountable for the
poor timing of this downsizing just as a school year is about to get
underway. The insensitive manner the staff were made aware of this drastic
change, with many of them being off on annual leave and hearing it through
the media, has also added to the chaos. This creates a great deal of stress
not only for the staff and their families, but for those in other government
areas who may now be bumped from their positions. Just as importantly, it
creates a volatile and unsettled atmosphere for the students as they start
another school year.
"I call upon the minister to put this move on hold until these many
contentious issues are resolved, and those affected are able to present the
minister with their perspective and correct some of the misinformation they
feel she is stating publicly. The move should also be halted pending a
review of the Pathways/ ISSP model and to assess whether there is adequate
support in the school system to warrant a full inclusion of deaf children
who have very extensive communication barriers and special needs. The
welfare of children currently attending the School for the Deaf, and those
who will need the specialized services of the school in the future are all
at stake. The school is there to help deaf children grow to their full
potential. It should not be compromised by a government and a minister who
are clearly fixated by the bottom line."
|