The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education:

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to inform my Honourable colleagues today of a new reading bursary of $500 per successfully completed course for Newfoundland and Labrador public school teachers pursuing the Graduate Diploma in Education – Reading Development and Instruction at Memorial University.

The initiative stems from a recommendation of the Premier’s Task Force on Improving Educational Outcomes to explore options with Memorial for a graduate level specialization program to prepare reading specialists.

The department immediately began discussions with Memorial and the Faculty of Education decided to develop both a diploma program and a Master’s degree program, providing teachers the opportunity to develop a specialization in reading.

The intent of the reading bursary is to provide financial assistance for eligible candidates and to encourage teachers to pursue this new opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, reading specialists are leaders who build and sustain a culture of literacy in schools. They advocate for students by providing reading instruction that is engaging and responsive to the needs of all learners. They do this by working collaboratively with other educators within schools.

The new diploma program will be available in winter 2021. Information about the reading bursary is available to teachers on the K-12 Professional Learning website. We encourage teachers pursuing the Graduate Diploma to apply for the bursary.

I commend Memorial for their work to fulfil this recommendation of the Premier’s Task Force. The new programs, and the reading bursary, are important initiatives to enhance learning for students across the province.

Thank you.