The importance of providing learning support systems and personnel was brought to the boardroom table on Dec. 18 when the South East Cornerstone Public School Division trustees met with their director of education, Lynn Little.
The director illustrated the growing need in support for learning programs while welcoming the additional $147,000 in funding that has just recently been supplied to Cornerstone by the Ministry of Education, just for that purpose.
Little said the best use of that money, in her opinion, would be in the expansion of the English as another language project.
“There is growth in EAL students at all levels,” said Little.
To prove that point, she turned to statistics showing that on the east side of the division that oversees the education of over 8,200 students in total, there were 33 students requiring EAL assistance three years ago and that grew to 38 students last school year and now it’s at 113 people who require almost direct student to teacher English language support systems.
On the west side of the sprawling school division, there were 102 needing EAL support last year and 115 this year while in the south sector, the three year growth pattern has been 92 students to 117 students and now 174 students.
So with over 400 students in the division requiring EAL support, the money will be well spent, Little suggested, noting that online support is also available.
She said there are only six schools within the 38-school system, where EAL classes are not required.
An EAL consultant will be hired to lend support to existing staff members who are already delivering the programs and will lend them a more organized approach after discovering what the learning needs are.
“Teachers in the program already have identified a need to incorporate EAL lessons into regular class content as their number one priority,” said Little.
More online courses will help the process and Little said although it is difficult to hire educational specialists at this point in the school year, the effort will be made to land a good one to serve as co-ordinator/consultant.
“There are so many more languages to deal with now, that has to be an additional challenge,” said Elwood White, trustee for Subdivision 6.
“That, plus some newcomers are coming in with very weak English skills, some even struggle to fill out the registration form, so there will be several levels we have to work at,” said Little.
