NL teachers aren't giving the provincial budget a passing grade

    Friday, 1 May 2026 06:00

    By Tonya Organ

    NLTA President Dale Lambe says gaps remain, including teacher and specialist retention and recruitment, overall system resourcing and student needs.

    This week’s provincial budget includes $625M for educators, as well as teaching and learning assistants. In his budget speech on Wednesday, Finance Minister Craig Pardy spoke about new investments, which is a $28.9M increase and includes the hiring of  94 teachers and 20 assistants.

    Meanwhile, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association welcomes the extra funding but are concerned about the significant gaps that remain. President Dale Lambe says this includes teacher and specialist retention and recruitment, overall system resourcing and student needs. He says 94 teachers among   more than 250 schools is not a big difference.  

    Lambe felt the budget contained zero action to address daily incidents of violence in schools. He says there was slight movement with $1M for social workers in schools which won't go very far and they’ll be watching to see if services are improved for students. 

    Lambe says education is one of the pillars for changing society and making the future better. Teachers are encouraging people to wear red today as part of their “Red for Ed” campaign to support education. 

     

    To report an error, submit a news tip, or provide feedback, please e-mail news@bayfm.ca or call (709) 637-0183.

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