Bussing Review - Question Period

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

EECD: SCHOOL BUSING REVIEW - UPDATE

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education and Early Child Development.

In 2014, the Nova Scotia School Board Association asked the department to review the rules around school busing and provide adequate funding for transportation of students to and from school. In 2017, the same request came from the Halifax Regional School Board. Now, with no school boards, after two weeks of stories of students being stranded and families scrambling to fill the gaps, the minister has finally said he will conduct a review.

We look forward to seeing the results of that review, but why has the minister dragged his feet for years on finding a solution to this problem?

HON. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : We have had an ambitious agenda for the transformation of our education system. We have made significant changes in the governance of our system and the administration of our system.

The issues that people have told us in this Chamber and in our communities that were most urgent were behavioural supports for our system. That was the focus of our first year in office, bringing in a new pre-Primary program so that every single four-year-old in this province has access to critical early learning, expanding our child care sector. It's funny - every time we have moved quickly and ambitiously on these projects, the Opposition Parties have told us to slow down, that we're being reckless.

The fact is that we can't do everything at one time. We had a plan this year to review busing and to review funding formulas and guidance counsellor ratios. That work is going to be ongoing for this year. I expect to have improvements in every single one of those areas.

MS. CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, with respect, the School Board Association submitted this request four years ago, long before the litany of changes that were just rattled off were ever even conceived.

Wayne MacKay, a Dalhousie University law professor who has authored books on laws governing Canadian education, was recently quoted as saying the busing issue could easily be resolved or more easily dealt with if we still had a school board structure. The removal of that level of representation and democracy comes at a certain price, and I'll table that.

The department has said the review will look at policies and practices, but what about listening to parents? Will the minister explain how he will consult with students and parents, like the ones who have been flooding my office, as he tries to fix the situation around school busing?

MR. CHURCHILL « » : I know that the members opposite have defended the status quo in our education system. They have defended the previous governance structure that three independent reports indicated was creating a situation where student achievement varied from . . . . (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development has the floor.

MR. CHURCHILL « » : That system that the members opposite defend resulted in a situation where, depending on where you went to school in this province, your chances of succeeding varied. Three independent reports told us that governance and administration was a problem. That's why we acted - because we think we need to do better for our students. 

While the members opposite defend the special interest that we have taken on on this journey, we will stand firmly behind the students and their success.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou East.