Privatization of N.L. school system not on the table, says Education Accord co-chair

One of the leaders of the team tasked with modernizing Newfoundland and Labrador's education system says she never would have joined if she thought privatization was on the table.

Education Accord advisory board co-chair Karen Goodnough is disputing accusations from CUPE N.L. president Sherry Hillier, who announced earlier this week she would no longer sit on the advisory board over worries the government is dismantling the province's public education system.

"No, I would not be here and I can assure you that my co-chair, Dr. Anne Burke, would not be part of this process if that was the intent," Goodnough recently told CBC.

There were no references to privatization in the group's interim report, she added, though she said she can understand Hillier's concerns about privatization and job losses.

"But that's not part of our job, or our mandate, as providing strategic direction for the accord — that's not what we do," said Goodnough.

"I think, from my perspective, they must be misunderstanding the purpose of the accord and confusing [it] with government and operations."

Hillier's decision to step down came after Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association president Josh Lepawsky's announcement in January that he was leaving the advisory board.

The provincial government launched the Education Accord in January of last year. Goodnough said the board has been talking with individuals, families and community groups on ways to improve the education system.

"We're almost into our 14th month and we're very close to releasing our final report, which will have a set of calls to action with suggestions for pathways, targets," she said.

She added Hillier decided to withdraw from the advisory board at a very late stage. While she is disappointed with Hillier's decision to walk away, she also thanked Hillier for her involvement.

"The more people we can have involved, more individuals and groups, the more robust our report, our final report, will be," said Goodnough.

The advisory board's interim report was released in January.

"The intent of the interim report was not to provide specific calls to action or calls to transformation at this point. It was to outline the process in which we were involved based on the accord," she said.

The results of the interim report was what Hillier said prompted her to make her decision to leave the board.