Alexander Dominie was upset when told the course he had a passion for, Canadian Law, would be removed from the Newfoundland and Labrador high school curriculum.
Dominie, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Belanger Memorial School in Codroy on the province’s west coast, said he couldn’t understand why the course was being dropped.
“I was angered and confused at the same time because I believe the course to be very essential to students learning,” he said.
The course was crucial to his passion for law, and his hoped-for future in the field, he said.
“I’m pursuing a career in it and I felt like the course has been extremely influential to me, my learning and what career path I want to take in the future,” he said.
Creating a petition online was his way of making his frustration known.
“Why not start a petition and see if I can get attention to it, see if I can change the momentum of dropping the course and keep it in the schools?” he said.
With enough signatures, maybe the course can be saved, Dominie figured.
“I want the petition to get more validity and I’m looking to gain more signatures. Hopefully, with more validity, we can change the outcome of Canadian Law here in Newfoundland,” he said.
After four days of being posted online, the petition had gained 126 signatures with the number growing steadily.
Dropping Canadian Law will be a blow to the province’s education system, Dominie contends.
“I feel like the Newfoundland education system, as of now, is lacking and it’s hindering (it) if we take out Canadian Law. That’s why I don’t want to see it taken out,” he said.
Debbie Marnell, media relations manager for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, confirmed that the course will be dropped at the end of this school year.
“However, this course will be replaced by a new course, Social Studies 1201, which includes both a unit of study on the Canadian legal system, and many other aspects of law, including human rights,” she said.
The new curriculum will include a more in-depth look at the development of law over time, she added.
“By updating the social studies curriculum, we are helping ensure that all students have a greater exposure to law than is currently in place,” she said.
