Tory education plan includes childcare, all-day kindergarten, more foreign students

Progressive Conservative Leader Paul Davis unveiled his party's plans for education in Newfoundland and Labrador Wednesday.

CBC News · Posted: Nov 18, 2015 11:40 AM EST | Last Updated: November 18, 2015

Paul Davis says the Progressive Conservatives will move forward with plans for all-day kindergarten, affordable childcare and work with the ANC to make is as easy as possible for international students to become permanent residents. (Eddy Kennedy/CBC)

Progressive Conservative Leader Paul Davis unveiled his party's plans for education in Newfoundland and Labrador Wednesday.

Davis said his party is committed to ensuring more affordable and accessible childcare, as well as addressing a shortage of early childhood educators in the province.

He also said the party will follow through with its plan to implement full-day kindergarten.

Davis said there will be a strong focus on attracting international post-secondary students to Newfoundland and Labrador as previously outlined in the provincial population growth strategy announced in June.

"Almost on a daily basis I speak to business people who are looking … for new Canadians who are coming to our country as a way to help them assist them grow their business, especially when they're challenged in finding the human resources," said Davis.

We want to make sure that their processes go as smooth as possible so they're entry to Canada can be easier for them.- Paul Davis

According to Davis, the best way to do that is make Newfoundland and Labrador as attractive to students as possible.

"As students come here we provide a province that they know they like when they come here, we hear from many foreign students and international students coming to Newfoundland and Labrador who like it here and stay here and raise their families here," he said.

"And sometimes they might fall in love with a Newfoundlander or —Labradorian: that helps to keep them too."

Davis said government is currently working with the Association for New Canadians to figure out a way to make the process of coming to Canada "as seamless as possible."

"We want to make sure that their processes go as smooth as possible so they're entry to Canada can be easier for them, as easy as possible, but also that it helps — of course the benefit for us is to grow our population."

As for the tuition freeze, Davis previously said he wouldn't commit to maintaining the current freeze, but the province will continue to have "the most competitive tuition in the country."