The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced that Eldred Barnes has been appointed as acting Deputy Minister for the Department of Education until the job competition to recruit a permanent replacement is finalized. The appointment is effective immediately.
Mr. Barnes has more than four decades of experience in education in Newfoundland and Labrador, most recently serving as Associate Deputy Minister, leading the implementation of the Education Action Plan with the Department of Education. A complete bio can be found in the backgrounder below.
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“Mr. Barnes brings considerable experience to the acting Deputy Minister role. He has taught in rural and urban schools, served as an instructor at Memorial University and has been directly involved in the administration of the department for quite some time. I wish him well during this exciting, yet challenging time for the province’s education system.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media contact
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Biography for Eldred Barnes
Eldred Barnes has almost 43 years of experience in education in Newfoundland and Labrador. He has been a teacher in both rural and urban schools, school administrator, a district level program specialist, Department of Education curriculum development specialist, and university-level instructor. Mr. Barnes most recently held the position of Associate Deputy Minister of Education since September 2017, leading the implementation of the Education Action Plan. Prior to this, he served as Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of School System Administrators.
Mr. Barnes has also held senior management positions in government with roles and responsibilities in corporate planning and research, strategic planning, and program development. He played a lead role in the implementation of the recommendations from the 2000 Ministerial Panel on Education. Mr. Barnes has worked in Indigenous education and has been involved in interdepartmental program development related to comprehensive school health and wellness. He has extensive knowledge of the Newfoundland and Labrador school system.
Mr. Barnes holds Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Masters of Education degrees from Memorial University.