Inclusive Education Improvements - Question Period
MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.
EECD - INCLUSIVE EDUC.: IMPROVEMENTS - REASSURE
MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. This weekend a radio call-in program asked Nova Scotians to comment on how inclusive education was working for their family. Dr. Strang, our province's Chief Public Health Officer, told the host about his 12-year old son who is significantly impacted by autism, is non-verbal, and has an intellectual disability. Dr. Strang said: There is no place for him in the current school system in Nova Scotia. I'll table that.
Mr. Speaker, how is the government's plan going to ensure that children like Dr. Strang's are included in our public education system?
HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : While there are, albeit, a small number of these cases, one case like this is far too much in our education system. This is exactly why we struck the Commission on Inclusive Education. It's exactly why we'll be moving forward with their recommendations to improve our system of education to be more inclusive, and that will entail more behavioural supports, special needs supports, mental health supports.
It will mean better training and professional development for our educators, two-thirds of whom have been told they have not been properly trained to deal with the diverse needs in our classroom. It will also mean tailoring our education system to meet the needs of each of these children, instead of trying to fit them into the boxes of our current education system.
MS. CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, this is a child who can't be in a classroom. Dr. Strang's experience is that there is no capacity or flexibility in our education system to support families. The Commission on Inclusive Education has recommended increases in funding, specialists, and support over five years, to build the capacity of the system to fully meet the needs of all students.
Unfortunately, the minister has already announced his intention to cherry-pick from the recommendations, has been silent on the Phase I call for an autism strategy, and has also indicated that his government will not follow through on the recommendation to establish a Nova Scotia Institute for Inclusive Education, which could independently monitor these recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, given the government's lack of commitment to full implementation, what reassurances can the minister provide to families like the Strangs that things are actually going to improve?
MR. CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, in fact, we have indicated that we are pursuing all the objectives of the Commission on Inclusive Education's report. That means changing our system so that students like the one the member is speaking of actually will have available to them intensive, individual supports when that is appropriate, or smaller group learning opportunities, which is important for a number of our students.
It also means that we've budgeted for these supports to be in place for September. We've budgeted $15 million, which is in line with the recommendations of the commission, to make sure there's more behavioural supports in our system to give these students better options and better supports. We all know this is a budget that the Opposition Parties have voted against.
MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle-Barrington.
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