NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Safety Initiative for K-12 Public Schools Kicks Off Back-to-School Season

The Provincial Government is expanding supports for students in the K-12 public education system in Newfoundland and Labrador. On August 26, the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, is announcing that a newly developed position - student services teaching and learning assistants - will be introduced in select K-12 schools this September.

The student services teaching and learning assistants will work with guidance counsellors and instructional resource teachers to further support behavioural management skills for students. They will also have other duties including hall monitoring to promote the overall safety and well-being of the school environment. The Department of Education has identified six schools to pilot this initiative this school year.

This initiative reinforces commitments made by the Provincial Government to improve school environments, increase overall safety, and prevent violence in the school setting. Efforts in recent years include the addition of 32 full-time equivalent school administrators throughout several schools; adding 58 full-time equivalent guidance counsellors; improving the student-to-counsellor ratio from 1:500 to 1:333 developing partnerships with Choices for Youth, Thrive Community Youth Network and the Jacob Puddister Foundation; and a focus on social-emotional learning that is embedded in the K-12 curriculum.

Quotes

"We want to ensure students, educators and support staff have safe school environments every day. We are committed to improving the school environment for our students, increasing overall safety, and preventing violence. This safety initiative will help staff and support our school communities."

Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education

"The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association welcomes any investment in our K-12 public education system that helps to address increasingly complex student needs and the growing levels of aggression and violence impacting our members and their students. The introduction of the student services TLA role in a small number of schools is a welcome step in the right direction, which we hope will be expanded across the system in the future. Adequate supports for students and the safety of everyone in our schools must be a priority, which is why the NLTA spearheaded the creation of the School Safety Coalition and continues to advocate for safe and well-resourced teaching and learning conditions for our members and their students."

Trent Langdon, President, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association

Learn more

• Provincial Advisory Council on Education Regulations Now in Force
• Newfoundland and Labrador Studies Course to Become Graduation Requirement for High School Students