Education Minister Receives Teacher Education Review Report

A three-person panel presented its report on teacher education in Nova Scotia to Minister of Education Karen Casey, today, Jan. 16.

The Review of Teacher Education in Nova Scotia report makes 19 recommendations and comes after weeks of extensive consultations with educators, parents, students, school board members, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, university and government officials.

Ms. Casey appointed the panel in June to determine if current practices meet the needs of school boards, present and prospective teachers, and school communities.

"The foundation of a top-performing education system is well-educated and well-prepared teachers," Ms. Casey said.

Before responding to the report, Ms. Casey has asked for public comment on it and its recommendations. A deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 13 has been set for input. Ms. Casey plans to respond to the report after studying its recommendations and public input.

Panel members are: Daniel O'Brien, former president and vice-chancellor of St. Thomas University in Fredericton; Myra Freeman, a retired teacher and former lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, and Bill Whelan, a former superintendent of education at four Atlantic Canadian school boards.

"Our goal was to take a generally good system of teacher education and suggest ways to make it better," Dr. O'Brien said.

"We've recommended adjustments to the system to ensure that the supply of high-quality education graduates continues to meet the needs of students and school boards both now and in the future."

The panel mandate included:

• the necessary balance between how many teachers graduate each year and the hiring demands of school boards;
• how some Nova Scotia universities link with institutions outside of the province to educate teachers;
• the bachelor of education curriculum and its balance of practical aspects and academic theory;
• the time required to complete a bachelor of education program.

In Nova Scotia, most prospective teachers complete an undergraduate degree before applying to one of four institutions that offer an approved bachelor of education program. The Shapiro Report of 1994 established the system. The four approved two-year programs are at Mount Saint Vincent University, Acadia University, St. Francis Xavier University and Université Ste-Anne.

Two other universities offer non-sanctioned, teacher-education opportunities to students. Cape Breton University has an arrangement with Memorial University of Newfoundland, while Saint Mary's University is linked with the University of Maine.

A post-Shapiro review in 2000 made 32 recommendations to further improve teacher education.

The report is available on the Education Department's website, www.ednet.ns.ca.

Interested individuals can respond to the report by e-mail to [email protected], by fax to 902-424-0519 or by writing to the Department of Education, Corporate Policy Branch, P.O. Box 578, Halifax, N.S., B3J 2S9.