Nova Scotia’s Department of Education has filled ALL BUT ONE classroom support jobs.
The positions were announced in the spring as part of the government’s $15-million response to recommendations in the independent report on inclusive education.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Zach Churchill tells CJLS News they have 190 new hires.
“These are behavioral supports, autism supports, speech pathologists, school psychologists, parent navigators, a lot of non-teaching supports in the system.”
He says that every job has been filled except for a nursing position to be hired through the Nova Scotia Health Authority for the Tri-County Centre For Education.”
Churchill says he expects to add even more classroom help as the department continue to reshape the inclusive education model.
He says his department is also looking at how education at the school-level is funded.
He says right now it’s based solely on enrolment.
“We know that doesn’t reflect the needs of every student or the needs that are in every school, so we’re looking at need-based funding components.”
He says classrooms are complex and there are a lot of needs in the education system and the department is committed to doing a better job in supporting teachers and students with an inclusive learning environment.
A full list of inclusive education supports, and descriptions of those supports, can be found at: http://ednet.ns.ca/inclusiveeducation
(CJLS News file photo)
