FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2025
Lewisporte, NL – Today, Premier John Hogan, KC, leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined by Liberal Candidate for Lewisporte-Twillingate, Derek Bennett, announced further support for our province’s education system.
Our Liberal team understands that Newfoundland and Labrador’s teachers and early childhood educators play a critical role in shaping the future of our Province by educating and inspiring our children.
They foster curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and resilience, all while equipping students with the critical skills they need to succeed. Our teachers and early childhood educators are also pillars of their communities, acting as mentors and role models, and often providing emotional and mental health support to our students. They also routinely go above and beyond to support extra curricular activities and experiential learning.
By supporting our teachers, we can ensure that our Province is giving our children the best chance in life to grow and thrive.
To further support our education system, a re-elected Liberal Government will build on the 400 education resources hired under Budget 2025 by hiring an additional 100 education resources, including teachers and student assistants, across the Province over the next two years. Our Government will also decrease the standard class size by 2 students in grades 1-9.
A re-elected Liberal Government will further support our teachers and maintain a conducive learning environment, by continuing the ban on cell-phones in all classrooms, and ensure that administrators have the disciplinary tools necessary to enforce it. We will also improve teacher and student safety by working with the RNC and RCMP and schools across the Province on incident prevention, planning and response.
We know that when our students go on to post-secondary education or enter the job market that they are expected to compete in an increasingly complex and digital world, while still being able to understand and navigate their day-to-day lives.
To make sure that more of our students stay, find their passions in school, and learn the skills they need, a re-elected Hogan Government will:
• Introduce an Indigenous history, language and culture module for elementary and junior high students, and a mandatory Indigenous history and reconciliation course for high school students.
• Continue the comprehensive curriculum reform undertaken in the past several years to improve digital skills and literacy, decrease absenteeism and ensure that our grade outcomes meet and exceed national and international levels.
• Continue the introduction of computer science programming at all levels.
• Increase exposure to skilled trades and apprenticeships in lower grades and provide renewed support to hands-on courses in junior high and high schools.
• Introduce mandatory civic education and financial literacy education to ensure all students understand the political, legal and economic system in which they live.
Our Liberal team knows that pursuing post-secondary education is an important driver of economic growth and individual success. At the same time, we know that many students, particularly from rural and remote communities, struggle with the costs of tuition and living costs away from home.
That’s why this year we increased weekly provincial student loan and provincial student grant limits by 20 per cent. Our Government also increased the per-course value of the Memorial University Tuition Relief Grant, from $345 per course to $420 per course, and lowered the program duration eligibility threshold for the NL Debt Reduction Grant Program, from 80 weeks to 60 weeks. This means more support for more students.
We know that moving to attend post-secondary education is in and of itself an expensive undertaking. To support students from rural areas who want to attend Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and the College of the North Atlantic, a re-elected Liberal Government will introduce a one-time moving allowance of up to $500 per student to assist with moving costs and getting settled in their new homes. This will be available to income and residency tested students of Newfoundland and Labrador to help make post-secondary education more accessible.
This investment is on top of our recent $33.5 million investment to enhance the Student Aid program, including increasing the Memorial University Tuition Relief Grant for eligible students. Upon graduation, eligible students can have 100 per cent of their provincial loans forgiven via the Newfoundland and Labrador Debt Reduction Grant Program.
With real momentum, energy and leadership, the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is embracing our province’s tremendous opportunities to deliver a stronger future for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
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Media Contact:
Ben Murphy
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
E-mail: [email protected]