Premier’s performance needs an upgrade

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil claims that improving education is a personal priority of his, but he has no new money for education. He claims his government must be fiscally responsible. But is he being frugal in the running of the province? Does he need three highsalaried communication experts in his office?

Is he careful to consider the necessity of building new schools in his constituency and the education minister’s constituency? These were listed at numbers 26 and 28 on the provincial priority list for necessary school construction. I wonder how people in the communities that were numbered 1 to 25 feel about that?

It seems there is money available but the premier has chosen to spend it on other things rather then a fair wage increase to overworked teachers. Those same teachers want guarantees of money put in place to improve a system that needs much repair. They are in Nova Scotia schools every day and they know what needs to be done. Vague promises from a government that they don’t trust are not good enough.

Teachers must go to university for six years to be qualified to work in Nova Scotia schools. This often results in many thousands of dollars in student loans that take many years to repay. However, the starting salaries of new teachers in Nova Scotia are $51,000. Starting salaries for newly graduated Registered nurses, another hard working group of professionals, are $63,000, with four years of university.

If I were giving the premier a report card grade on his dealings with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and other unions in Nova Scotia it would be a D, which means needs improvement. Greg MacInnis Sydney