Social Services Committee — Department of Education — 20 October 2020

2020-10-20

Newfoundland and Labrador — Committees

PROVINCE OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY First Session Forty-Ninth General Assembly Proceedings of the Standing Committee on Social Services October 20, 2020 - Issue 11 Department of Education (continued from October 6, 2020) Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Assembly Honourable Scott Reid, MHA

SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE Department of Education Chair: Perry Trimper, MHA Vice-Chair: Helen Conway Ottenheimer, MHA Members: James Dinn, MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh, MHA Carol Anne Haley, MHA Christopher Mitchelmore, MHA Craig Pardy, MHA Pam Parsons, MHA Clerk of the Committee: Bobbi Russell Appearing: Department of Education Hon.

Tom Osborne, MHA, Minister Steve Barron, Manager of Budgeting Susan Elliott, Executive Assistant Brian Evans, Assistant Deputy Minister, K-12 & Early Childhood Development Bob Gardiner, Deputy Minister Robyn Hayes, Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services and School Infrastructure Jacquelyn Howard, Director of Communications Mary Goss-Prowse, Director, Early Learning and Child Development Candice Ennis-Williams, Assistant Deputy Minister, Post-Secondary Education Also Present Hon. Steve Crocker, MHA, Minister of Justice and Public Safety Paul Dinn, MHA Hon.

John Haggie, MHA, Minister of Health and Community Services Darrell Hynes, Senior Research Analyst, Official Opposition Office Scott Fleming, Researcher, Third Party Office

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 477 Pursuant to Standing Order 68, Steve Crocker, MHA for Carbonear - Trinity - Bay de Verde, substitutes for Sherry Gambin-Walsh, MHA for Placentia - St. Mary’s. Pursuant to Standing Order 68, Paul Dinn, MHA for Topsail - Paradise, substitutes for Helen Conway Ottenheimer, MHA for Harbour Main. Pursuant to Standing Order 68, John Haggie, MHA for Gander, substitutes for Christopher Mitchelmore, MHA for St. Barbe - L’Anse aux Meadows. The Committee met at 9:00 a.m. in the Assembly Chamber. CHAIR (Trimper): (Inaudible) everybody back to this Estimates of Education.

It’s part two. We’re continuing on from where we’ve left off. We’ll think of this as a recess and we’re back and continuing. We’re going to forgo any kind of opening remarks, any kind of introductions. I would ask the Clerk to remind us all where we are in these Estimates. What we’re going to do is work through them. We have 60 minutes and, unfortunately, that is it. That is all the time we will have. I would ask people to keep your remarks brief, concise and let’s make sure that we have an opportunity to look at everything that everyone wants to see in here and that the department has an opportunity to explain.

With that, Madam Clerk, I’ll ask you to remind us where we are and we’ll get started. CLERK (Russell): 3.1.01 to 3.6.01 inclusive. CHAIR: Thank you. We’ll continue on with the questions in this

section only, please. We won’t be voting on each section. I’ll wait until we’ve concluded and then we’ll vote on the whole entire Estimates of this department. I’ll turn it now to Mr. Pardy. MR. PARDY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I can’t really recall if I have any further questions in that section, because I think I was ready to proceed on to the Post-Secondary. CHAIR: Okay. Thank you. Mr. Dinn – either Dinn. MR. P. DINN: No questions. Thank you. CHAIR: Okay. Mr. James Dinn. MR. J. DINN: I think we’re good and we’ll go to Post-Secondary. CHAIR: All right. Thank you very much. We’ll move on to the next

section then, please. I’ll ask the Clerk to introduce that. CLERK: 4.1.01 to 4.4.02 inclusive. CHAIR: Okay. Mr. Pardy. MR. PARDY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. 4.1.01, I’m assuming this pertains to the ABE program. Can we have the enrolment for the public versus the private? CHAIR: Keep your hand up. Can the Broadcast spot the – just keep you hand up, Candice. There you go. They’ll spot you. Does Broadcast see the lady with the hand in the air? Assistant Deputy Minister. There it is. There you go. MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Good morning.

For 2019-20, our PTIs registered 1,669 ABE students and our community-based organization registered 108, for a total of 1,777. So 94 per cent were in the PTIs, the private training institutions. MR. PARDY: Okay, good.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 478 How many College of the North Atlantic campuses do we have in the province? MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: We have 17 campuses. MR. PARDY: Seventeen campuses. I don’t need to know what the enrolment is, but I’m sure there’s quite a variation in those. Can you just give me what the spectrum would be from lowest to highest? MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Sure. The September 24, 2020, enrolment for the College of the North Atlantic’s 17 campuses was a total of 5,814 students, and the range was from 23 to the high of 1,012. MR. PARDY: Okay. I’m assuming the 1,012 is Prince Philip? MS.

ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Actually, my mistake. 1,012 was Distributed Learning. The total highest was 1,810, and that was Prince Philip Drive, so 1,810 students at Prince Philip Drive. MR. PARDY: Okay. I’m fully aware of the 27 pay periods, but when I look at the Salaries in 4.1.01, the actuals were considerably more than budgeted last year. MR. GARDINER: That actually is Salaries for the post-secondary review that’s under way, so money transferred in to pay for the salaries for the people completing the post-secondary review. MR. PARDY: Okay.

Bob, am I to assume that this year’s Salaries budgeted higher is basically due to the 27th pay period? MR. GARDINER: Yes. MR. PARDY: Okay. Transportation and Communications. MR. GARDINER: The same answer, Craig. It’s money that came over to the department from Finance to cover off the post-secondary review. You’ll find the same thing for Professional Services and Purchased Services. That’s where the money the came in. There was nothing budgeted there but because of the post- secondary review, the money was supplied by Finance. It was budgeted in Finance and transferred to the department. MR. PARDY: Good.

Moving on to 4.1.02. I think it might have been referenced last year, that we had three seats in the veterinary school. MR. GARDINER: Three seats per year with a four-year program for a total of 12 seats. MR. PARDY: Does that satisfy our needs in the province for veterinarians? MR. GARDINER: I’ll defer to Candice. Typically it had, but I haven’t been involved in it in the past four years. MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: My response to that would be at current time it does. We have not had any significant inquires that have come into the department to indicate otherwise. MR. PARDY: Okay.

On the Grants and Subsidies – I’m sorry to bounce back to the first

section again. 4.1.01, on the Grants and Subsidies, you spent significantly less in that last year. MR. GARDINER: Craig, basically that money is primarily budgeted for ABE, but when students sign up for ABE, in many cases they’re federally funded through the Labour Market Development Agreement, the LMDA. If they’re not eligible for that, then they’re paid for out of provincial funding. Every year there’s a balance between how many LMDA are funded and how many are provincially funded. In this case, there were more LMDA clients than there were provincial clients. MR. PARDY: Okay, good.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 479 4.2.01, on the Operations, when we look at the Regular Operating Grant, we spent about $10,000 more last year. That’s on the Grants and Subsidies. MR. GARDINER: You’re looking at MUN’s operating grant? MR. PARDY: MUN’s, yes. MR. GARDINER: When you’re looking at MUN’s operating grant, obviously you need to look at both the Regular Operating Grant and the Tuition Offset because it’s all revenue that goes to Memorial.

If you look at the total amount, the $309,354,000 versus the $309,059,000, how you arrive at those numbers – the difference in ’19- ’20, ’20-’21 – like all the ABC’s and departments, MUN in this case is responsible for $1.6-million savings for an attrition management plan and $694,000 reduction in normal operating grant. That then is offset by the additional $4 million for the tuition freeze, which is all part of the operating grant. Also this year, severance was paid out for Memorial because of the collective agreement stipulations.

So government actually paid the severance, which normally Memorial would’ve done, and then Memorial is paying back to government over the next five years $2 million a year. Instead of Memorial taking the hit in one year, it’s spread out over five. That also is reflected, a $2-million decrease, which is normal money that Memorial would be spending anyway on severance. MR. PARDY: So we’ve stayed the same, Bob, with the operations and the funding under this category from last year to this year? MR. GARDINER: Pretty much, yes. MR. PARDY: Okay.

I’m assuming that probably the year prior to that would be the same as well? MR. GARDINER: Very similar, yes. MR. PARDY: Yes, very similar. What is the rate of delinquency in the tuition, as far as the repayment? MR. GARDINER: Now you’re coming into – MR. PARDY: Oh no, I’m sorry, student loans. MR. GARDINER: Student aid is coming up. MR. PARDY: Let’s leave that. Would the law school be any part of this here? MR. GARDINER: Not currently, no. MR. PARDY: Not currently, no. Would there be a cost that you can quickly come up in relation to the medical school at MUN?

When I say the operation of the medical school at MUN, as to what portion of the cost that would be. MR. GARDINER: The medical school is not captured in these numbers at all. The medical school is funded through the Department of Health. MR. PARDY: Okay. Where would the Battery come in here? Under this

section here, or would it be under the Physical Plant and Equipment? MR. GARDINER: The operations would be captured here. MR. PARDY: Okay. MR. GARDINER: The Physical Plant and Equipment would simply be $2.4 million for deferred maintenance as White Paper money and then any construction infrastructure projects that have been happening, like the Core Science Facility and the Holyrood Marine Base. The Battery wouldn’t be down there now, because that’s finished. There would’ve been money down there a number of budgets ago for the Battery financing. MR.

PARDY: Assuming there’s a mortgage on the Battery, do we know what the amount of the mortgage would be on the Battery owing? MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: No.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 480 MR. GARDINER: That’s something, Craig, I’d have to get for you. MR. PARDY: Okay. Is the operation there of that Battery self- sufficient? MR. GARDINER: Candice can speak to that, but I know four years ago when they bought the Battery and redeveloped it, the plan then was that it was self-sufficient and actually it was a bit of a revenue generator. MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: (Inaudible.) MR. GARDINER: Yes. MR. PARDY: I know on the Premier’s mandate letter it had asked to improve the public post- secondary infrastructure.

I’m just wondering: Is there anything in this budget that would be addressing that mandate at this point in time? I know that everyone is concerned about the aging infrastructure at MUN, and just I don’t see it here anywhere. MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: I guess, more generally, certainly there is funding related to the Holyrood Marine Base new main building, $10.5 million. Certainly, we’re sunsetting toward the end of the Strategic Infrastructure Fund program, through the Animal Resource Centre and the Core Science Facility.

I guess the main thrust of funding in this particular budget would be the Holyrood Marine Base new base building. MR. PARDY: Thank you. CHAIR: Okay, thank you. Mr. Dinn. MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Chair. In 4.2.01, you may have just answered this, but it appears the ministry has shifted $4 million from the Regular Operating Grant in the previous budget to the Tuition Offset Grant in this one. Why was this done? MR. GARDINER: Jim, if I understand your question correctly, there was no money shifted from the Regular Operating Grant.

The decrease in the Regular Operating Grant would be reflected in the $1.6-million attrition and the $694,000 operational savings, as well as the $2- million severance that I just explained. The $4 million in the Tuition Offset would be new money. That was started to be reported like that probably five years ago. So the $64.4 million last year was for Tuition Offset, and government has made a commitment to provide Memorial with $4 million – that’s the figure that’s been used now for probably seven or eight years – to maintain the tuition freeze. That $4 million is an actual increase for the Tuition Offset. MR. J.

DINN: In 4.2.02, the Battery Hotel, do these generate income for the university at all? MR. GARDINER: The Battery would, based on the rental that they have for some of the space they have down there, and the Genesis Centre, et cetera. Of course, they have some graduate residences there as well. When that was bought and refurbished, the plan was, and still continues to be, that it would be actually a revenue generator and it wouldn’t cost Memorial any money. MR. J. DINN: Do we have any breakdown of the revenue that it has generated since it’s been up and running? MR. GARDINER: We can get that for you, Jim. MR. J.

DINN: Please, yes. That would be great. In 4.2.02, the minister’s mandate letter mentions the need to improve public post-secondary infrastructure, yet here we see that over a third of allocated funds were not invested in Physical Plant and Equipment at MUN. Even more, we see additional decrease of $10 million in this year’s budget compared to what was actually spent in 2019-2020. Would the minister name which projects were affected by the lack of funding and how? Were there cost savings, project delays or cancellations, et cetera? MR.

GARDINER: The short answer to that, Jim, is no, there’s no project inadvertently affected. The money that you see that was not

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 481 spent this year was money primarily for the Core Science Facility that was carried over to this fiscal year. It’s just a matter of flowing the money when it’s necessary. There’s been no decrease in the amount allocated for those projects. MR. J. DINN: And with the Core Science Facility, I know before the construction of the new mental health facility, when they were looking at doing, I guess, the flood mitigation. There was a concern at the time that those on the hospital side that they could potentially flood the Core Science Facility.

This was even before the construction really of the new mental health facility. This is when they were doing a review of the berms or the walls that were built near the bridge there. I’m just wondering what measures have been put in place or is there a cost now added to the Core Science Facility to try to make sure that that asset, that building is not the recipient of unwanted water? MR. OSBORNE: I believe that’s a question better directed to Transportation and Infrastructure. They would manage that project. MR. J. DINN: Okay. Has the Core Science building – have they even turned their attention to this?

I know that the director, at the time, was concerned, didn’t realize that that was going to happen. This is about three or four years ago. How much money has been spent on the Core Science building? MR. GARDINER: The total price tag for the Core Science building was always $325 million. MR. J. DINN: Significant investment. MR. GARDINER: Absolutely. MR. J. DINN: Significant investments have water come through it as well. I would certainly appreciate that and I’ll certainly ask Transportation and Infrastructure, but still ...

Would TI be responsible for that or would MUN be responsible for that, doing an assessment of what, if any, risk it poses? I’m just trying to get an idea because I would assume TI is dealing with the construction above and the mitigation measures, but on the building itself, on the Core Science building. MR. GARDINER: MUN is managing the construction of the Core Science Facility. Any implications from the mental health facility and any water issues would be handled by TI. MR. J. DINN: Okay, thank you.

In 4.2.02, could the minister provide information on the source of federal revenue and are these grants or loans to be repaid? MR. GARDINER: All the money you see there would be federal money. In some cases, like the Core Science Facility, it’s not reflected in this document, but it is a loan that MUN would be repaying and have plans in place to repay over 25 years. MR. J. DINN: Okay. In 4.3.01, we noticed a significant drop in Grants and Subsidies allocated to capital construction at the College of the North Atlantic this year.

What was this money invested in over 2019-2020 and why have the projected investment amount declined so substantially? MR. GARDINER: Sorry, Jim, did you say 4.3.01? MR. J. DINN: Yes. MR. GARDINER: I don’t see any capital there. MR. J. DINN: I’m just wondering was there any money invested in to capital construction? MR. GARDINER: That would be 4.3.02. MR. J. DINN: Oh, my mistake. Okay, carry on. We’ll deal with 4.3.02 then, Physical Plant and Equipment. You’re right. Different heading, wrong number.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 482 There was a significant drop in Grants and Subsidies allocated to capital construction, what was this money invested in over 2019-2020 and why has the projected investment amount declined so substantially? MR. GARDINER: The short answer to that, Jim, is the projects that have been funded through the Strategic Infrastructure Fund are concluding. For example, the Heavy Equipment Centre of Excellence in Stephenville is concluding, so those types of programs are coming to an end. So as the construction completes, obviously the funding is no longer – well, the funding is spent. MR. J. DINN: Okay. Also, I’ll point out in that same

section that $4 million in federal revenue last year, which does not appear again this fiscal year. Which program was the source of this funding? MR. GARDINER: Again, that would be the Strategic Infrastructure Fund as projects get completed. MR. J. DINN: Okay, perfect. 4.4.01, Administration, and maybe 4.4.02 as well, only $260,000 of the allocated $420,000 was actually spent on Purchased Services. Also, the figure budgeted for this item for ’20-’21 was just over $190,000. What accounts for these varying figures? MS.

ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Basically, if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re asking about the Purchased Services under the Administration, Student Financial Services? MR. J. DINN: Yes. MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Okay. We actually signed a revised agreement with the federal government for costs associated with the service provider and there was a reduction in the fees paid by the province, so that explains the drop from $420,000 down to $259,000. In terms of the $191,000, that is, again, the costs that are associated with the service provider MOU with the federal government. MR. J. DINN: Thank you. Thank you, Chair. CHAIR: Thank you.

Mr. Pardy. MR. PARDY: Yes, back to 4.2.01, the new science building, have we costed what the maintenance going forward will cost on this infrastructure to MUN? I know it’s new. I’m just wondering what the projected cost of maintenance would be. MR. GARDINER: I don’t have that in front of me, Craig. It’s something that we could probably get. But I would suggest it would be offset by, for example, the Science Building not being used and the plans for that. That has been factored into MUN’s ongoing costs, but I don’t have anything in front of me right here. MR.

PARDY: You’re talking about being offset by the old Science Building. MR. GARDINER: The old Science Building, correct. MR. PARDY: Yes. Is there a plan for the old Science Building? MR. GARDINER: There’s nothing definitive. There are some discussions on whether it should be torn down or maybe refitted, but that plan is still in the works. MR. PARDY: Okay, good. MUN references probably the highest enrolment they’ve had this year over some time, which is good. I wonder: Did they dropped the minimum qualification? It was always, was it not, 70? I think they dropped it for this year. MR. GARDINER: Yes, that’s correct.

MR. PARDY: So I’m assuming that would play a

part in the enrolment increase. MR. GARDINER: We’ve actually had that discussion with the president. The numbers, actually, of students that would not have met the 70 per cent average that would normally be

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 483 required is not that substantial, but they are doing a bit of a deeper dive on that just to monitor it. MR. PARDY: Okay, good. The tuition freeze is great, but I’ve always contended that there are other aspects that would leave – that MUN would be getting the money in the absence of being able to increase the tuition. I always wondered about the extreme high cost of student textbooks for MUN students. What would be the markup on those books, the student textbooks? Would there be a markup that MUN would be getting on those texts?

Because it is outlandish, the cost of the student textbooks. MR. GARDINER: Yeah, I wouldn’t have that, Craig. MR. PARDY: No, okay. MR. GARDINER: I wouldn’t know what the markup is. MR. PARDY: We said in the K-to-12 system that face to face was the ultimate and we all concurred with that. I would venture to say that it is the ultimate in post-secondary education as well. What was the rationale for not opening MUN for face to face, either in the fall or, in particular, more so the winter semester? MS.

ENNIS-WILLIAMS: The rationale has always been to ensure alignment with public health guidelines that are in place at the current time. So paramount to any discussion that we’ve had with Memorial, the college and the private training institutions, since March, has been the safety of students, faculty and staff. MR. PARDY: Totally understandable. I agree wholeheartedly with that. I just wonder: Why the distinction between the K-to-12 system and post-secondary? Just for my own learning. MR.

GARDINER: Craig, I think one of the main differences would be in the K-to-12 system, as you can appreciate, we have 260 schools and it’s localized. So, for the most part, the students that are attending a K-to-12 school are in the same community or certainly a neighbouring community. Not lost on us is the fact that approximately 30 per cent of Memorial’s students come from outside Newfoundland and Labrador. So that would be significant in terms of bringing those individuals, not only from Canada, but from international as well. MR. PARDY: Good, yeah. If I may jump to 4.4.01.

I asked about the delinquency earlier about the tuition freeze, but I think this is more fitting now when we’re talking about the student loans. MR. GARDINER: That’s information we would have to get for you, Craig. MR. PARDY: Okay. MR. GARDINER: I don’t have that at the top of my head. But I will say is this, it’s typically not high from a provincial perspective, because most of the money that goes out from a provincial perspective is in the form of grants. Again, there’s a collection process that is involved that Finance handles, but we can get you some numbers on that. MR. PARDY: Okay. That’s good.

I yield back to my colleague. MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Chair. Just one question at this point in time. My colleague brings up the fact that the admissions average had been dropped. I’m just curious as to why they did that? Would it be in recognition of the impact of COVID-19? MR. GARDINER: It simply comes down to the fact that, and the same with the K-to-12 system, they don’t want any student to be disadvantaged because of COVID-19. So, yes, it would be because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MR. J. DINN: Okay, thank you. That’s it. CHAIR: Thank you. Mr. Pardy.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 484 MR. PARDY: Thank you, Sir, Mr. Chair. MUN has seen an increase in enrolment. Has the College of the North Atlantic seen similar? MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Yes, the college has seen about 6.7 per cent of an increase in this fall’s enrolment. I do caution, though, of the 5,841 or the 5,814 I shared with you as the enrolment, around 780 of those are actually train-outs from last semester.

That’s the other concern here for institutions is they have to ensure – not just in terms of enrolment of new students, but they have to ensure that students who may have been impacted by the COVID pandemic in the past year that their issues and needs are addressed as well. MR. PARDY: Can you explain train-outs? MS. ENNIS-WILLIAMS: Basically what it means is that there were individuals who may have been slated to graduate or complete a certain term in the spring, and because of the COVID pandemic and any impact there they have had to become obviously a priority for the College this semester. MR.

PARDY: Thank you. 4.3.01 and 4.3.02: Can you explain the federal revenue in both instances and how this can be accounted for? MR. GARDINER: The federal revenue in the Operations is Labour Market Development Agreement funding. Any students attending the College that are EI eligible then they could be funded through the Labour Market Development Agreement. Then the federal funding down below would be for the strategic infrastructure projects, such as the heavy equipment operating centre in Stephenville. MR. PARDY: Okay, good. CHAIR: Mr. Dinn, any further questions? No. Mr. Pardy, I guess it’s all with you, Sir.

Do you have any further questions? MR. PARDY: No, I am good. CHAIR: All right. I thank you very much. I thank everyone. I guess we have some time. First of all, let’s vote in the outstanding Estimates. I’ll ask the Clerk to call that, please. CLERK: 1.1.01 to 4.4.02 inclusive. CHAIR: Shall 1.1.01 through to 4.4.02 inclusive carry? All those in favour, ‘aye.’ SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye. CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay.’ The Estimates are carried. On motion, subheads 1.1.01 through 4.4.02 carried. CLERK: The total. CHAIR: Shall the total carry? All those in favour, ‘aye.’ SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay.’ The total is carried. On motion, Department of Education, total heads, carried. CHAIR: Shall I report the Estimates of the Department of Education carried without amendment? All those in favour, ‘aye.’ SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye. CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay.’ These Estimates are carried forward. On motion, Estimates of the Department of Education carried without amendment.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 485 CHAIR: We have a few minutes, I would ask the – I’m sorry, let me just do these formalities first. I need someone to move the acceptance of the minutes from a meeting that we had just a few hours ago. Thank you, Ms. Parsons. All those in favour of those minutes. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye. CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay.’ Thank you. The minutes are carried. On motion, minutes adopted as circulated. CHAIR: Madam Clerk, I guess I can turn for any final remarks. I’m thinking all my little details. Yes, I’ll turn to the minister. Thank you. MR. OSBORNE: Thank you.

I just wanted to thank Committee Members and all staff in the department for coming back for a second day of the very exciting process of Estimates. CHAIR: Thank you. Mr. Pardy. MR. PARDY: Just a little anecdote. I echo what the minister had stated, how exciting they are. When I first became an administrator in Clarenville, I remember one of my first sessions when I went into the building; we had trouble with the furnace back at that time. I remember our maintenance expert from the school district came in and met with the crew from North Atlantic.

As an administrator, when I listened to the exchange between – and listened to our maintenance person who was hired in that school district, he knew as much as the people who were going to service and maybe even more. Why I share that little anecdote was that one thing about these Estimates is that when you ask a question, it’s obvious the answer that you get back, you have people who know what they’re referencing and they know their stuff. That’s quite evident in the Estimates that we’ve had here. I commend you on what you do. You appear to be at the top of your game. Good stuff. CHAIR: Thank you.

The Member for St. John’s Centre. MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Chair. Again, thank you for the work you do. Newfoundland has such a vast geography and the needs that face schools in St. John’s are not necessarily the needs that face a school up in Nain. It’s a huge area, a vast number of needs. Any time, Chair, that you’re dealing with young people – multiple needs, they come from different backgrounds. To try to come up with a system that meets all of those needs is challenging at the best of times to allocate resources, and also to govern post-secondary as well. It’s a huge undertaking.

Thank you for the work you do and for the answers you provide. CHAIR: I’d like to thank you all. I find it can be a little dry but it certainly is informative. I thank you all for your attention. With that, I need a motion to adjourn. MR. HAGGIE: So moved. CHAIR: Thank you to the Member for Gander. This is adjourned. Do we have a next meeting? No, we don’t. I have one more to witness. With that, we’ll vacate the premises, please, and allow the folks to come in and clean up for us for another session at 1100 hours. Thank you.

October 20, 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 486 On motion, the Committee adjourned.

Document details

Collection	Newfoundland and Labrador — Committees
Citation	2020-10-20
Type	committee
Volume / chapter	committees_standingcommittees_socialservices_ga49_pdfs_2020-10-20_20_ssc_20-_20department_20of_20education_.pdf
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	116ebe157a2fd910019966b32443f6be5aea80c4

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