Minister Welcomes Students Back to School, Op-ed

NOTE: The following is an op-ed from Education Minister Ramona Jennex.

Going back to school is an exciting time for students and families. Earlier this year, I introduced Kids and Learning First, our plan to help every student succeed. I have also been listening to parents and teachers and I recognize we must do things differently to help our students achieve better results.

Parents and students will see some of these new and ongoing actions at work this year.

Our schools are helping more young students who struggle with reading, and they are reaching them earlier. Succeeding in Reading was introduced last year in grades Primary and 1, and parents and teachers alike say it is a great success. We are working with school boards to expand Succeeding in Reading into Grade 2 this year.

We are training teachers in a new math curriculum that the province will introduce next year. This curriculum, used in 10 other provinces and territories, will give students more time to go deeper on key concepts.

We want our young people to graduate prepared for good jobs and citizenship in their communities. High schools are offering a new Personal Development credit this fall that will encourage students to gain valuable life skills extending beyond the classroom.

Students can earn credit for taking part in proven community-based programs that focus on leadership, languages and the arts, such as Cadets, Dance Nova Scotia, 4-H and Junior Achievement.

We also continue to expand programs such as co-op and Skilled Trades that give students hands-on experience in potential future careers and prepare them for the workforce.

We want to make sure teachers have the support they need. We will work with parents, teachers and school boards in the coming months to help ensure teachers are teaching in areas where they are comfortable and have a strong background.

Our schools work hard to support students' well-being even beyond the classroom. We continue to strengthen the links between schools, parents, families and communities to meet our students' needs.

In the coming weeks, the province will introduce a new anti-bullying co-ordinator who will spearhead an action plan to combat bullying and cyberbullying. We know this is a serious issue and we continue to tackle it together in our schools and our communities.

Through SchoolsPlus, services like homework clubs, mentoring and parenting support are available in more schools. As well this year, mental-health clinicians will be onsite in these schools. SchoolsPlus is available in 95 schools and will expand to schools in every county in the coming years.

Class sizes are smaller in many parts of the province, and we're committed to solving class-size challenges in growing areas. September marks a new beginning and I look forward to working with parents, teachers, students, and school boards for an even better year ahead.