Parents and Teachers say Education System is Cut to the Core

HALIFAX, Feb. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - The government's latest cut to school board funding is going to be felt by every student in Nova Scotia, say representatives from parent and teacher groups.

The Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations (NSFHSA), la Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FPANE) and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) have joined together in a campaign called Cut to the Core. Advertisements on TV, radio, the Internet, billboards, newspapers and buses urge everyone concerned about education to sign a petition.

"Education may not be a priority for this government, but it certainly is for the Nova Scotia public," says NSTU president Alexis Allen. "Last year we lost 343 teaching positions, and with the budget cuts facing boards again this year we will lose another 350. That will mean larger class sizes and less support for students who need it most."

"Parents are already digging into their own pockets to pay for things that schools just don't have a budget for anymore," says Vanda Dow, NSFHA president. "I hear from parents every day who see the effect of last year's cuts in the classroom. It is impossible to cut the budget anymore and not have our students' education suffer."

Even though enrollment in French schools is on the rise, parents still have reason for concern.

"Last year's added funding was not enough to accommodate the extra students," says Natalie Aucoin of FPANE. "This is not just education, but our culture that is in jeopardy."

Nova Scotia is already second-lowest in Canada in per-pupil funding. The Cut to the Core campaign asks everyone to sign a petition at kidsnotcuts.ca. The ads began running February 14 and already almost 6,000 people have signed their names.

"People are sending a strong message that enough is enough," says Allen.

Mary Jane Webber, NSTU Public Relations Coordinator
Telephone: [phone], Cell: 902-497-0194, Email: [email protected]

Vanda Dow, President, Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations
Telephone: [phone], Email: [email protected]

Natalie Natalie Aucoin, Directrice générale, Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse
tél: [phone]

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