NSTU responds to Report of the Minister's Panel on Education

HALIFAX, Oct. 30, 2014 /CNW/ - NSTU president Shelley Morse hopes that the recommendations put forward through the Minister's Panel on Education announced today will ensure that the learning environment for students and working environment for teachers will improve in Nova Scotia.

"There are some excellent recommendations within this report that will move the Nova Scotia school system forward," says NSTU president Shelley Morse. "We agree with the Minister's view that there has been too much tinkering with the system over the years, which has resulted in teachers spending more and more time on paperwork and not enough time teaching and providing students with individual supports."

The NSTU sought feedback from its members last year before it provided a formal submission to the Education Review Panel, and some of that feedback was reiterated within the public submissions. "We applaud the public in recognizing what our teachers have been telling us for years," she continues.

"Our teachers identified lots of strengths in the current system including the opportunity for professional learning available to teachers that helps them meet student needs, the commitment teachers have to students and the community inside and outside the classroom, and areas of programming that support a wide variety of student needs ensuring success in their areas of learning."

Morse says that challenges identified by teachers are contained within the Report's recommendations. "The challenges identified include issues surrounding class size and composition, not enough support for guidance counsellors and teachers in dealing with students' mental health concerns and not having adequate resources to support 21st Century learning."

Morse is a member of the Minister's Partner's Advisory Group. "As a member of this group we will be formally responding to the recommendations and look forward to working with other members of this group to ensure that teacher voice is included in the recommendations going forward."

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union represents more than 10,000 public school teachers, Community College faculty and professional support staff and teachers who work for the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority. Since 1895, it has worked to improve the quality of public education in Nova Scotia.

SOURCE: Nova Scotia Teachers Union

Angela Murray, NSTU Public Relations Coordinator, Cell [phone], Direct [phone], twitter@NSTeachersUnion