Safety in Schools - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, following the events at Charles P. Allen High School earlier this week, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development went on the radio to assure Nova Scotians that rates of violence in schools have remained steady and to suggest that these incidents are simple schoolyard spats. But department data shows that there were over 13,000 reported incidents last school year alone - a 23 per cent increase over the year before, and I'll table that. In the Halifax area, police have been called to schools for such incidents 424 times since 2018, and I'll table that.

Despite the minister's assertions, incidents of school violence are on the rise, and they need government attention. What is the Premier going to do?

THE PREMIER « » : Obviously, the events at C.P. Allen this week have left us all in shock. We're definitely concerned about that, for sure. I've had a chance to speak to some of the people working at Charles P. Allen. We're all concerned about that. Our thoughts are with everyone there. This is a serious issue. It's an issue where the community - there's a lot that many of us can do, and we'll certainly, as a government, do what we can to focus on that issue.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Students themselves have been calling for funding to improve student access to mental health supports. Charles P. Allen Grade 12 student Brady Moore said: "You hear stories on the news and online about people that aren't ... able to access mental health supports, not only in schools, but in our province and health-care system as well. I think that comes down to funding and staffing, and I think we have people that want to be able to help, and we just need the funding to be able to provide more services in school, more staffing for students to get one-on-one support that we need."

This government tabled a budget yesterday that included nothing to address mental health in schools and has continuously failed to invest in these needed supports. Mr. Speaker, when will the Premier demonstrate that his government cares about school safety and student well-being and invest in students' mental health?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, for the member to imply that I don't care, that the government doesn't care, about the safety of students is completely out of line. For the member to imply that the minister would characterize a very serious incident at C.P.A. as a schoolyard spat - that didn't happen. It's completely unfair. This government cares. We're not on this side of the House because we don't care. We're on this side of the House because we do care. In this government, we invest significantly in addictions and mental health.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm not implying anything. I'm asking a question. I'm asking the question of what this government is going to do to prevent the rising violence in schools.

Nova Scotia teachers have been warning for years about the impact of staffing shortages and cuts to unassigned instructional time on students' safety and well-being. In the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development's own words, the connections that are built between students and educators and staff prevent escalation and provide students with channels of communication. Teachers have been clear with this government about what they need to prevent a repeat of the terrible events of last week. They need more staff resources to enhance supervision and support, and they need a reversal of the cuts made under the previous Liberal government.

Schools are not okay. How is this government going to ensure the safety of our children and youth without supporting them or their teachers properly?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, as a government, we feel that obligation to keep our students safe and to keep Nova Scotians safe. I can assure the member that the minister and the minister's team are working closely with those working in our schools. We will do what we can to support them.

We know that there are challenges with access to health care. This budget speaks to that. We know there are challenges with access to addictions and mental health care. That's why we have in this province, for the first time in this province's history, a Minister Responsible for the Office of Addictions and Mental Health supporting Nova Scotians. I want to assure the member that the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Minister Responsible for the Office of Mental Health and Addictions, and the entire government team are working to support Nova Scotians in every way possible. We just ask the members opposite to join us in that quest.