(November 25, 2022, St. John’s) – Barry Petten, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister of Education and MHA for Conception Bay South, today expressed concern over the decision to, once again, cancel public exams.

“While I appreciate the unprecedented challenges of the past three years under COVID 19, I continue to hear from parents and children who feel ill equipped for post-secondary education,” said Petten.

Petten noted high school students, who have never written a final or comprehensive exam, are expected to do so in University. The Furey Government has still not released a plan to address learning loss or respond to the concerns raised during their two sessions on learning impact conducted in late summer.

“Yet again, we see no proactive plan from this Government, while other provinces have stepped up with investments and detailed plans to ensure our children are not left behind,” said Petten.

“With the elimination of public exams, preparation, study techniques, and review methods are not being covered in high school. Without the proper tools, are we setting these children up to fail?”

Petten congratulated teachers and staff for their extraordinary efforts to keep the school system running the past 3 years. However, we need to make sure students are not slipping through the cracks.

“The Furey Government needs to stop being reactive and finally show some leadership to roll out a plan to address learning loss and ensure our children are adequately prepared for post-secondary studies,” said Petten.

Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Strategic Communications

(cell) 709-725-0984

DavidMaher@gov.nl.ca