School plan needed now, must address inclusive education

HALIFAX -- The NDP caucus is calling on the Liberal government to inform parents, students, teachers, and all staff of the plan for September as soon as possible. Concerns around access to education are growing--especially for those students in need of additional educational supports--as parents and educators remain uncertain about what the fall will bring.

“We are halfway through July and only 55 days away from the tentative first day of school. Yet the Liberal government continues to leave parents and teachers in the dark about a plan for schools,” said NDP Education spokesperson Claudia Chender. “A month and a half is a very short amount of time, especially if families, teachers and school staff have to make dramatic changes to school procedures in order to protect everyone’s health.”

All the other Atlantic provinces have released return to school plans. Some provinces’ plans, including BC and Newfoundland, prioritize the return to in-school instruction for children with diverse needs.

“We have families in Nova Scotia who have been struggling for years hoping to see inclusive education expand in our province,” said Chender. “Now, because of the coronavirus and the Liberal government’s unwillingness to be open with the public about their plans, we have families and teachers across the province unsure of what will come, in all aspects of schooling, in less than two months' time.”

July 15 marks 55 days until the tentative first day of school in Nova Scotia on September 8.

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