Millions more for education system
Province will add 173 teacher-support staff positions
HALIFAX — The province is pledging to add 173 teacher support staff positions in Nova Scotia schools by September.
Education Minister Zach Churchill made the $15-million announcement Thursday, calling it the second phase of a five-year rollout of investments in response to the Commission on Inclusive Education released last March.
The 122-page report called for an updated “unified model of inclusive public education.”
“The current model of inclusive education was put in place in 1996,” said the report. “It was not designed to accommodate the volume of overlapping academic, behavioural and social-emotional challenges experienced by many students today.”
The new positions include: 18 guidance counsellors; 11 autism teacher specialists; 11 resource teachers, 30 educations assistants; 32 child- and youth-care practitioners; 13 African Nova Scotia and Mi’kmaq student and support workers; 11 pre-primary inclusion coaches; eight schools plus facilitators; eight school psychologists and speech language pathologists; three student health nurses and four transition supports for youth in care.
None of the positions have been filled as of yet. Following phase one of the rollout, 191 support positions were added to schools this academic year and the province is projecting it will add a total of 364 positions to the education system by September.
The report on inclusive education recommended other supports as well, including parent navigators, who would help connect parents to programs and services