For immediate release:

January 26, 2024

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‍Canadian Federation of Students - Newfoundland & Labrador (CFS-NL) Reacts to Education Accord NL Announcement ‍

ST. JOHN’S - The Canadian Federation of Students - Newfoundland & Labrador (CFS-NL) is reacting to the announcement of an Education Accord by the Government of NL, and is eager to see what its implications will be for post-secondary educational (PSE) institutions within the province and all students. 

The announcement indicated that one of the pillars of the Education Accord will be Post-Secondary Education and learning across one's lifespan. The importance of education in relation to the health of the individual and the collective was heavily reiterated, which has been a consistent theme that CFS-NL has shared when expressing the rationale for the importance of accessible education.

“We have continuously echoed the importance of education on the overall well-being of individuals and our province, and we are confident that the findings of the accord will be in line with what we have already presented to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for years,” states CFS-NL Chairperson, Mary Feltham. “We will continue to advocate that high-quality education is prioritized in this province, and is accessible to all who choose to pursue a post-secondary educational career. This needs to include all students attending PSE in this province, especially our International Students who have faced additional acts of xenophobia and anti-migrant racism from decision-makers at PSE institutes and the Governments of NL and Canada, which has limited their ability to access their right to an education; further limiting the inclusivity and diversity of our province.”

With a timeline of December 31, 2024 to develop and present a plan for the next 10 years of education in our province, we encourage the advisory team to engage heavily with students as a primary stakeholder. CFS-NL is ready and willing to work with the committee for the Education Accord Advisory Team and the Department of Education to establish accessible, high-quality education for all students choosing to attend Memorial University and/or College of the North Atlantic. 

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For further information, please contact:‍

Robert Leamon, Organizer
709.737.3204 (O), 709.771.0222 (M)
r.leamon@cfs-nl.ca

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