NSNDP

July 8th, 2020

Parents still in the dark about Liberal plan for school in the fall

HALIFAX -- As other provinces continue to share plans for public school in September, Nova Scotians still have no information about what school will look like in the fall.

“Since March, parents have had to juggle work, parenting full-time, and facilitating at-home learning. What we saw in the spring isn’t sustainable indefinitely,” said NDP Education spokesperson Claudia Chender. “The Liberal government has consistently failed to consider the needs of parents and children as part of its COVID-19 reopening plans. It is unacceptable for the government to continue to leave parents in the dark about what scenarios they are considering for when and how school will safely resume.”

Schools have been closed since March 16, with the school year ending early on June 5. Many summer camps have been cancelled this year, and while child care centres opened July 15 with limited capacity, most families with school-age children do not have formal child care for them.

Other provinces’ plans have included part-time attendance, additional classroom space being acquired, and more online education being used. In order to limit the spread of COVID-19, schools will likely need additional space, staff, and resources to meet social distancing and cleaning requirements.

“Parents, teachers, and students need to see a plan on more than a few weeks notice. When it came to child care centres and day camps, parents, educators, and organizations were left scrambling and many centres and camps struggled to open on time,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “Now, we’re seeing the Liberal government go down the same road when it comes to public schools. We need to ensure parents, teachers, principals, and support staff are on the same page when it comes to ensuring Nova Scotia students get the education they deserve.”

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