Review into Nova Scotia education system gets lukewarm reception

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s progressive conservative leader says he is pleased a review is being conducted on the governance of the province’s schools, but is concerned the timeline may be unrealistic.

Education Minister Zach Churchill announced the $75,000 review Wednesday, saying it will look into the structure of the education department and province’s eight school boards.

 

PC leader Jamie Baillie says a review of the education administration model is long overdue.

Baillie says it is important a more streamlined administration system is implemented so more money can be put into classrooms but he tells NEWS 95.7 the review’s Dec. 31 deadline is not fair.

“I wanted to get to real results, real savings in administrations that can go to our schools,” said Baillie. “My concern is it’s been given an impossibly tight timeline and very vague criteria, and the last thing we need now is another report that just sits on a shelf.”

The association for Nova Scotia’s eight school boards is welcoming the hiring of an Ontario-based consultant to examine how the province’s school system is administered.

Hank Middleton, president of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, says Avis Glaze – the Ontario consultant conducting the review – will have to talk to boards which are diverse geographically, culturally and linguistically before making her recommendations. He made the case for keeping boards intact.

“We are the voice of those communities,” said Middleton. “I’ve always said everything can’t be run out of Halifax. Halifax doesn’t understand rural areas of Nova Scotia, or other extremities of the province, or unique situations that we have in various communities.”

Baillie adds he doesn’t doubt Glaze is qualified enough for the job but he says he wishes the government would have given the work to someone in the province.