The Honourable Mildred Dover, Minister of Education, says that her department encourages any adult Islander who has not completed Grade 12 to take advantage of the opportunity to write the five GED tests to earn the certificate. “Many doors open once a person has that piece of paper that tells the world that he or she has grade 12,” said Minister Dover. “The door can lead to employment or other training programs, and provide a large dose of personal satisfaction for achieving the success of having the Grade 12 equivalency.”

The province-wide message, “Want to get your GED/Grade 12? Call 1-800-446-5265,” is on all reader boards, tray liners and tent signs at each Tim Hortons’ location across the Island. In villages where there are no Tim Hortons’ restaurants, other local restaurants and cafes will display the promotional material.

Danny Murphy, Tim Hortons’ owner, stated, “We are proud to partner with the Department of Education and Holland College to help promote to Islanders the opportunity to complete their GED certificate so they can follow their dreams and reach their full potential.”

GED preparation courses are offered at Holland College and community learning centres to help people prepare for the exams. Course materials are also available for self-directed learners who wish to prepare on their own.

“Holland College offers adult education programs in ten locations across the Island,” commented Jake Baird, Director of Adult and Community Education at the College. “Last year, hundreds of Islanders of all different ages and educational backgrounds made the decision to return to school and take our classes to get their grade 12 and obtain their GED. It is wonderful to see these people pursuing and achieving their educational goals.”

Barbara Macnutt, Chief Examiner and Administrator of GED in the Department of Education explains, “To encourage people to take advantage of the service, adult Islanders may attend GED preparation classes free of charge. Once they feel ready, they can make arrangements through the Department of Education to write the tests. Today, approximately 36,000 Islanders do not have grade 12. That number has serious ramifications for all aspects of Island life.”

Any resident of PEI who is 18 years or older can take the exams for a nominal fee of $20. The tests take about seven hours to write. People may choose to write them over a two-day period or by writing one exam at a time over a longer period.

The average age of people who pass the GED in PEI is 32 years, which is similar to the national average.

For information on the GED program, contact Luann MacAusland at the Department of Education at 902 368 5988 or lnmacausland@edu.pe.ca, and visit the Department of Education’s Web site at http://www.gov.pe.ca/educ.