Budget Bulletin: Moving Forward with Learning for Life

The Department of Education and its partners continue to move forward with the province's Learning for Life plan for student success. It was launched in September 2002 to help students succeed in school and in life.

BASICS FIRST -- READING, WRITING AND MATH Our first elementary literacy assessment showed that 89 per cent of students are meeting expectations in reading, and 81 per cent are doing so in writing. We are investing $1 million to help teachers give more support to students who did not meet expectations. Schools will get a share of the funding that is proportional to their number of students who need more support. Professional staff and school and community members will help decide how to best use this funding to help their students.

Active Readers will expand to Grade 9 students. We will invest $1 million in thousands of books for their classrooms and for professional development for teachers. Another $478,000 will add more reading resources to all junior high classrooms. About $500,000 will move Writers in Action into Grade 6. Both initiatives provide more professional development for teachers to help students strengthen their reading and writing. Jeunes lecteurs actifs, Lecteurs actifs and Écrivains à l'oeuvre will continue in Acadian schools.

Elementary and junior high math program assessments show that teachers need more support to effectively deliver the math curriculum. We are responding with an emphasis on professional development and leadership. As in the past two years, we are investing more than $500,000 in school boards' base funding so that each board will continue to have a math leader who supports classroom teachers. A further $645,000 will provide professional development for teachers. We will also invest $355,000 in resources for students, teachers and parents including homework baggies in Primary and Grade 1.

THE EARLY YEARS -- CLASS SIZE
Smaller classes allow teachers to spend more time with each student. Last year, we invested $2.5 million through Learning for Life to reduce class size to 25 students in Primary. That funding continues for Primary this year and we are investing an additional $3.5 million to reduce class size to 25 students in Grade 1.

In 2005, we will expand this initiative for Grade 2 students. In addition, combined Primary-Grade 1 classes will have a maximum of 20 students or an additional non-teaching adult in the classroom. These criteria will also apply to Primary and Grade 1 classes with students with special needs who have an individual program plan.

SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS
The department will continue to work with partners in implementing recommendations from the Black Learners Advisory Committee. A $500,000 investment will help school boards to support African Nova Scotian students in the public school system.

Last year, we invested $2.5 million for more professionals to help students with special needs meet their learning goals. This year, we are adding another $3 million for school boards to hire more resource teachers, speech language pathologists and school psychologists, train more teachers in Reading Recovery, and add more assistive technology.

The department will establish a new tuition support program to allow some students with special needs to transfer their provincial per student funding to private schools that offer alternative programs for students with special needs, for a maximum of two years. A plan will be developed for each student to make a smooth transition back into the public school system. We will invest $200,000 for an ombudsman's office and for extra tuition support for low income families.

SAFE, HEALTHY SCHOOLS Five school construction projects are now underway and schools are expected to open in 2004-05: Amherst Elementary, Truro Junior High, Sydney Elementary, Shelburne High and Cumberland Elementary.

Planning and construction will begin for seven additional school projects in 2004-05 which are expected to open over the next two fiscal years: Hammonds Plains Elementary, Barrington High, Western HRM High School, St. Patrick's/Queen Elizabeth High, Harbourside/Robert Jamieson High, Truro West Elementary and Rankin Education Centre.

In addition, 21 renovation projects will be underway to improve existing schools across the province.

NOTE: For further 2004-05 budget information, see the Department of Finance website at www.gov.ns.ca/finance .