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Yvonne Jones, MHA for the District of Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair, says she
is disappointed that the Western School Board pushed through a decision to
close five schools in southern Labrador without addressing the concerns of
parents and students in the communities affected. On Monday night, the
Western School Board made a decision to close six schools in the district.
Five of these schools are in communities in southern Labrador including
Lodge Bay, Pinsents Arm, West St. Modeste, Forteau and L’Anse au Loup.
"I was disappointed that the Western School District made the decision to
close these schools without listening to parents and students," said Ms.
Jones. "It is obvious that the consultation process used by this school
board is nothing more than a formality and an absolute sham. The decisions
are made in advance and the feedback received from parents and students is
simply ignored.
"The students in Lodge Bay and Pinsents Arm will now be forced to travel
over dirt roads to get to school in Charlottetown and Mary’s Harbour. These
are the only students in the Western School District who will be forced to
travel over dirt roads to access their schools. This inequity must be
corrected and I encourage government to pave these roads immediately.
"Necessary renovations must also take place to the facilities in
Charlottetown and Mary’s Harbour to accommodate these extra students.
Parents and students were reassured these upgrades would take place before
any schools were closed. To date, these renovations have not taken place and
the decision to close the schools in Lodge Bay and Pinsents Arm should be
postponed until these upgrades are completed.
"I am also concerned with the decision to close West St. Modeste, Forteau
and L’Anse au Loup. While it may be inevitable that schools may have to
close due to declining enrollments, I have not been given any assurances
that these closures will result in improved educational opportunities for
our young people. Before the schools are closed, I suggest the Western
School District ensure that a new regional school will offer improved
programming.
"Currently, many students are not offered french and music courses, and
those who are academically inclined are forced to take online courses
instead of having direct access to teachers in the classroom. I would also
like to see more resources that will provide stronger individualized
programming for children with special needs and learning disabilities. It is
one thing to close schools and construct a regional school, it is quite
another to use these savings to create a stronger and more effective
learning environment."
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