The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association says their biggest priority heading into the new year is making sure people are aware of the realities of teachers working in the system.

President Dale Lambe says class size and composition, as well as school violence, are among the most important items to address.

He says classes have become “far more complex” in terms of the needs in the room, so anything they can do to advocate for smaller sizes is important. He says school violence has also become more complex, and they need to be adequately resourced in order to address the needs.

Teacher recruitment and retention will also be a focus, says Lambe.

He says retention is the most important piece. To do that, he says they need to work with government to improve working conditions.