NLTA MEDIA STATEMENT
Re: Government's failure to address issues in education

I would like to thank you all for coming here today. On behalf of more than 6,500 NLTA members in this province, we felt it was time to do more to raise awareness of the hidden reality in our schools and the significant issues impacting students, teachers and other school staff.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association hears from members on a daily basis about their concerns and struggles in the field. We work hard to assist and support them through advocacy efforts and individual advice and representation, and we take seriously our legislated right and obligation to speak on matters that impact public education. There are concerning trends in the K-12 school system that the Association has been talking about for some time. The recent Teachers Think Tank process amplified this, with feedback from more than 2,200 NLTA members who took the time to share their lived experiences and demonstrate the unfortunate impact of declining teaching and learning conditions in our schools. Budget 2024 was a missed opportunity to build on the initial announcements following the Think Tank and leaves us feeling that the provincial government has not been listening and is largely ignoring the public education system.

Violence in Schools

One of the most concerning trends is the increasing frequency and severity of violent incidents in schools across the province. The safety of all our students, teachers and other staff must be a priority in our schools. The NLTA advocates regularly for safe and secure working and learning conditions for our members and their students. Unfortunately, aggression and violence among students, and directed towards teachers and school staff, occurs too often in our province.

In the Fall of 2023, we submitted Access to Information (ATIPP) requests to the then Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, the Conseil Scolaire Francophone Provincial, the Royal Newfoundland and Labrador Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The information received confirms what we know from anecdotal reports - violence is on the rise in our schools.

The data received from various sources reveals an increase in the average number of reported violent incidents per day in schools, from 20 per day in the 2018-19 school year to 29 per day in just the first two months of 2023-24. When you take some time to consider that data, the trend is troubling. Looking at the English K-12 system alone, in 2018-19, there were 3,562 reported violent incidents during the 185 teaching days of that school year. For the first two months of the current school year, 997 violent incidents were reported over a period of just 38 teaching days. This notable increase in the average number of occurrences of violence per day over just the first two months of the 2023-24 school year suggests an alarming trend towards a generally higher incidence rate of violence in schools.

Following a record low during the 2019-20 school year, likely due to the pandemic-related suspension of in-school instruction, there have been year-over-year increases in reported incidences of violence, with a 19% increase from 2021-22 to 2022-23, and a projected increase of up to 40% in 2023-24 compared to the 2022-23 school year. This is a disturbing glimpse into the future for students and teachers.

Unfortunately, we know from our members that violent occurrences in schools are also underreported. The general experience is that of having very limited time to document incidents, along with a widespread feeling that reporting procedures are a waste of valuable professional time as effective action and intervention rarely occur. However, the information we do have, through ATIPP disclosure, our own tracking tool, and the anecdotal reports we hear from teachers in the field, paints an extremely troubling picture.

Class Size and Composition

The increasing violence we are seeing in schools is compounded by large class sizes and the complexity of student needs in those classes. The NLTA hears repeatedly from teachers that, more and more, their work environments are becoming less conducive to fostering and supporting student achievement and overall well-being. Increasing class sizes, inadequate resourcing of inclusive education, rising incidents of student behaviour problems and violence in schools, and increases in mental health issues are having a negative impact on teaching and learning.

The past and ongoing impact of COVID-19, along with vacant teaching positions and the daily disruption caused by substitute teacher shortages, have exacerbated many of these issues. It seems an obvious premise, something that "goes without saying," that you cannot expect to improve system outcomes by under-resourcing the very processes and structures that are meant to support student learning.

Teachers Think Tank

In February of this year, those issues were shared loudly and clearly with government - in fact nearly one-third of NLTA members told government exactly what struggles they face each day. Of the over 2,200 teachers who participated in the Teachers Think Tank questionnaire, 78% indicated the demands of their working conditions are negatively impacting their mental health and wellness, and over 86% said they have experienced symptoms of burnout. While the announcement of some additional supports immediately following the Think Tank gave us reason to hope that decision makers were listening, Budget 2024 has demonstrated the opposite.

All stakeholders in public education, including parents and the general public, should be saying that this is NOT OKAY. After all, the reality is that the working conditions for teachers ARE the learning conditions for students.

Our Education System is NOT OKAY

To help bring needed attention to these issues, the NLTA is launching a new public awareness campaign entitled - NOT OKAY. Large class sizes, violence in schools, teacher allocations and other supports that are not adequate to meet complex student needs are NOT OKAY. We invite parents and guardians to join the Association in speaking up for their children and demanding better, safer teaching and learning conditions from the decision makers in this province.

School is a shared experience. The context in which teachers carry out their professional roles and responsibilities, providing instruction, striving to create safe and inclusive environments in which students can learn and grow, is the same context in which students spend six or more hours a day each school year.

We need government to recognize that the K-12 public education system in Newfoundland and Labrador is in triage mode. Teachers and Administrators are applying bandages daily, trying to create an environment in which students can learn and grow - which has become an overwhelmingly difficult task. The NLTA approached participating in the recent Teachers Think Tank event and the announcement of the Education Accord in good faith and with cautious optimism, but the time has come to stop talking and act.

Thank you.