6 grades in 1 classroom? 'You just can't do it' says Postville parent

The father of two children in Postville, onLabrador's north coast,says his Grade 4 son and Grade 9 daughter will be in the same classroom in Septemberbecause the school has lost one of its five teachers.

• Teachers told to expect 135 multi-grade classrooms in 70 schools

Jim Goudietold CBC Radio's Crosstalkon Thursdaythat means children from Grades 4 to 9 will be in one class, taught by the same teacher.

The school had an enrolment of 31 students in 2015-2016, with three grades in a classroom.

"What's going to happen next year with the proposed changes is absurd ... the people who made this decision should be ashamed," said Goudie.

"My daughter will be in Grade 9. She has to go to school with her eight or nine-year-old brother. She's 15. I don't see the dynamic working there. Tome it's ano-brainer. You just can't do it."

To add to the problem,Goudie said his son has autism.

"I just don't see how this decision in any way, shape or form other than cutting that teaching position and the provincesaving a bit of money is any advantage to any of those kids in that classroom," Goudie said.

"Will his teacher be patient with him? Things have to be very rigid and structured. I'm seriously considering not to put my kids in school next year, until this is resolved."

Training and support

The president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association, Jim Dinn, said the Postville teacher has done her best to cope.

"She's going to have about 15 students in her class," said Dinn.

"She is also the IRT teacher the instructional resource teacher and in the 21 years there, she has never received professional development. What she has done there, she's done on her own."

The minister of education and early childhood development Dale Kirby said there are other examples of extreme multi-grading in Labrador.InRed Bay last year,Basque Memorial had Kindergarten to Grade 6 in a single classroom.

There are serious challenges in providing schooling in rural or remote areas.- Education Minister Dale Kirby

"It's not lost on me or to the department that there are serious challenges in providing schooling in rural or remote areas of the province," said Kirby.

He said the school district tries to provide as much support as possible, and he said during the coming year there will be a "comprehensive plan" to train teachers for newmulti-grade classrooms.

"There will be one day of professional development provided," said Kirby, who acknowledged that training is a concern for teachers.

Teachers are skeptical, said Dinn.

He said there werepromises of training and support whenthe inclusion program was introduced, but those promises were not delivered upon.