Minister Unveils Plan to Improve Education
Students will have more time to learn the basics, and parents will get better information about how their children are doing as a result of Learning for Life, the provincial government's plan to improve the quality of education in Nova Scotia. The plan was developed based on consistent themes from parents, students, teachers and school boards. Education Minister Jane Purves unveiled Learning for Life today, Sept. 24.
"Learning for Life takes action to improve the quality of education on many fronts, from before students enter school and continuing through their academic careers," said Ms. Purves. "This plan reflects what parents, students, teachers and others have said is important to them."
The plan outlines action in seven key areas: focus on the early years; teaching basics first; more support for special education; quality teaching; informed, involved parents; safe and healthy schools; and accountability to taxpayers.
"We're going to support students, teachers and parents with more books, more technology, and more information," she said. "And we're going to provide better measures of how we're doing so individual students, and the system as a whole, can continue to improve."
Ms. Purves said recent international, national and provincial testing results show Nova Scotia student performance in language arts and math is behind many other provinces. "The basics must come first," said Ms. Purves. "Students must have solid reading, writing, problem-solving and math skills to be successful in school and in life."
Beginning next year, Grade 6 students will be tested in language arts and, for the first time, individual student results will be provided to parents. Test results will be used to identify and help struggling students. Students will be tested again in Grade 9 and provided additional help in high school if they continue to struggle. All students will meet a literacy standard, assessed through the testing program, before graduation.
More than 100,000 books will be added to expand Active Young Readers/Jeunes lecteurs actifs to junior high students along with 3,000 professional resources for teachers. This program was introduced in grades primary to 3 in 2000 and now encompasses all elementary classes. Starting this September, a 90-minute daily minimum time allotment was put in place for elementary language arts.
Learning for Life will also put more resources into math classrooms, including more books, resources, time and teacher professional development. Daily standards for time spent on math include a minimum of 45 minutes for early elementary and one hour for later elementary. Provincewide math testing will also be introduced in 2004 for Grade 12 students. This will complement math assessments in grades 6 and 9.
Sharing more information and giving parents more of a say in what happens in their schools are also part of Learning for Life. And school boards will pilot a new report card that will be sent home to parents four times a year.
A review of school advisory councils (SAC) will soon be under way to look at ways of enhancing parents' involvement. SACs will be asked to provide comments on a consultation paper to be released in 2003.
The department will develop an interactive Web site for parents. The site will contain plain-language information about what students are expected to achieve at different levels and allow parents to post questions or comments. The department is also developing a series of brochures to provide better information on the curriculum.
The minister previously announced an $18 million initiative that limits class sizes to 25 for grades primary to 2 and $17 million to support students with special needs. The plan will bring more than 310 teachers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists and other professionals into classrooms over the next three years.
As well, $172 million will be invested over the next two years to build another seven new schools and do six more major renovations.
"Learning for Life is a comprehensive plan designed to help our students do better," said Ms. Purves. "Although this is not a miracle solution that will change things overnight, it is a good plan, backed up by a real financial commitment."
As part of Learning for Life, Ms. Purves will announce the details of a new student debt reduction program this fall.
Learning for Life is available on the Department of Education's Web site at www.ednet.ns.ca .